World Bank Clarifies Role Amid India-Pakistan Indus Treaty Row
World Bank President Ajay Banga firmly refuted media reports suggesting the organization would intervene in the ongoing India-Pakistan dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty. In a statement shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on X, Banga stated, “We have no role to play beyond a facilitator… it’s all bunk,” emphasizing that the World Bank’s involvement remains limited to facilitation and not arbitration or enforcement. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead.
In response, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on April 24 and launched punitive measures, including curbing water flow from dams and shutting down diplomatic avenues such as the Attari border. Pakistan reacted sharply, calling the suspension “unilateral and illegal” and warned of dire consequences, including branding any restriction on water flow as an “act of war.”
In the days that followed, India initiated “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The missile strikes prompted retaliatory shelling from Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 civilians. Diplomatic ties remain severely strained, with both nations taking aggressive measures, including digital bans and visa cancellations, amid fears of further escalation.
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