A neutral expert appointed by the World Bank will conduct a hearing regarding the dispute between Pakistan and India concerning the designs of the 330-MW Kishenganga and 850-MW Ratle hydropower projects. This hearing is scheduled to take place from September 20 to September 21 in The Hague.
Pakistan’s delegation, which includes the country’s commissioner of Indus Waters, officials from the Attorney General’s Office, and a team of international lawyers hired by Pakistan’s government, will present the case during this hearing.
Previously, proceedings were held on February 27-28, 2023, to establish the procedures for the legal battle over the project designs, both of which India is constructing on Pakistan’s rivers. The Kishenganga project is on the Jhelum River, while the Ratle project is being developed on the Chenab River.
Pakistan has pursued its case through two channels: the neutral expert appointed by the World Bank, as preferred by India, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which Pakistan desired. India initially avoided PCA proceedings but was later compelled to participate after the PCA rejected India’s objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction. The PCA affirmed its competence to hear the case in a detailed Award de Ederer on July 7.
