Islamabad hails World Bank expert on Baglihar

Pakistan has welcomed the appointment of Raymond Lafitte, a Swiss civil engineer and professor as neutral expert of the World Bank (WB) on the issue of Baglihar Hydropower Project. "We are confident that the issue pertaining to Baglihar Hydro power Project would be resolved according to the provisions of Indus Water Treaty," Foreign Office Spokesman, Jalil Abbas Jilani said. Pakistan had early this year approached World Bank on the issue of Baglihar after talks between Islamabad and New Delhi failed to resolve the controversy. This is in line with the Indus Water Basin Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed by the two countries in 1960 that distributes six rivers, all flowing from the Indian-administered Kashmir, between Pakistan and India.
The Bank said, "Lafitte's determination will be final and binding".