ISLAMABAD, May 09 (DNA): Pakistan has urged the World Bank to fulfill
its responsibility regarding empanelment of Court of Arbitration for
resolution of water related disputes between Pakistan and India.

At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office
Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal reacted strongly to the recent
statements of Indian leadership on the Indus Water Treaty.

India’s Minister of Water Resources and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on
Thursday said New Delhi will stop Pakistan’s share of water as allocated
under the Indus Water Treaty.

Minister Gadkari also announced that “India was not bound to follow the
Treaty and had plans to divert the water flow to Punjab, Haryana and
Rajasthan”.

The FO Spokesman said Indus Water Treaty was mutually agreed upon
between Pakistan and India, however India violated it by constructing
Kishanganga and the under-progress Ratley hydroelectric projects.

Under the Indus Water Treaty signed in 1960, Islamabad has unrestricted
access to the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – while New
Delhi enjoys the same authority over the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and
Sutlej.

On Afghan peace process, he said Pakistan supported dialogue and
political solution of Afghanistan with focus on “Afghan-led and
Afghan-owned approach”. He said Pakistan urged all the stakeholders to
converge their energies on negotiations to avoid conflict in the already
war-torn country.

On chances of meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the upcoming Shanghai
Cooperation Organization moot on May 21-22 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, he
said “informal handshake could be a possibility, however there is no
meeting scheduled so far”.

The FO Spokesman confirmed that Aasia Bibi, the woman acquitted by the
Supreme Court on charges of blasphemy, had left Pakistan on her own free
will. However, he did not specify which country she had moved to.

Owing to chaotic situation in Libya, he said Pakistan’s mission was in
touch with the representatives of Pakistani community and had advised
them to register with the embassy for prompt coordination in case of any
emergency situation.