Pakistan willing to talk on Baglihar

This missive has been conveyed to the World Bank by Islamabad even as it responded to the bank's queries pertaining to the dispute.

Pakistan has reportedly said that it is still willing to engage India in talks over the Baglihar Dam dispute provided New Delhi ceases construction work on the project immediately.

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This missive has been conveyed to the World Bank by Islamabad even as it responded to the bank's queries pertaining to the dispute while re-emphasising the need for appointing a neutral expert under the Indus Waters Treaty.

Sources revealed to The News that the bank is keen to avoid delays in processing the petition made by Pakistan, and had therefore, sent a questionnaire to Islamabad with the aim of resolving the issue in the quickest possible time.

According to the paper, Pakistan has chronologically given the gist of the talks it has had with India so far and the efforts it has made to arrive at a negotiated settlement of the dispute.

The World Bank is expected to complete the processing of the petition within a couple of weeks and the appointment of a neutral expert is likely in the next quarter of this year.