Pakistan's Outreach To World Bank Chief Tied To Indus Waters Treaty Calculus. Here's How | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 14:30 IST

The optics of the grand reception---featuring horses, schoolchildren, banners & ceremonial pageantry---stand in stark contrast to the everyday realities faced by Sikhs in Pakistan

Ajay Banga’s visit to Pakistan was deeply personal. His Sikh family was forced to flee Khushab during the violence of Partition in 1947. (News18)

Pakistan’s unusually warm public welcome to World Bank President Ajay Banga during his recent visit to the country is being viewed by Indian government sources as a calculated diplomatic move aimed squarely at safeguarding Islamabad’s interests under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and securing future financial assistance, rather than a gesture rooted in religious outreach or cultural goodwill.

Banga, who serves as the President of the World Bank Group, occupies a critical procedural position in dispute resolution mechanisms linked to the Indus Waters Treaty. Under the treaty framework, the World Bank plays a defined role in appointing neutral experts and facilitating arbitration processes when India and Pakistan disagree on hydroelectric projects and water-sharing interpretations.

Top government sources told CNN-News18 that Pakistan sees engagement with Banga as a strategic necessity at a time when water security and economic stability are both under strain.

“Pakistan understands that technical rulings and procedural decisions can shape decades of water control. Maintaining goodwill with World Bank leadership strengthens Islamabad’s chances of getting its disputes formally entertained," a senior Indian government source told CNN-News18.

Sources added that Pakistan’s establishment is acutely aware that the Indus river system remains its economic and agricultural lifeline. With multiple Indian hydropower projects under scrutiny, even procedural delays or favourable interpretations can significantly alter outcomes on the ground.

The optics of Banga’s visit, including ceremonial receptions, banners, schoolchildren and mounted escorts, were widely circulated by Pakistani media. However, Indian officials interpret this display as transactional.

“This is not about a Sikh being welcomed home. It is about Pakistan’s desperation for World Bank money and influence over water negotiations," another senior source said.

Banga’s visit also intersected with Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis, where engagement with multilateral lenders remains critical. Government sources say Islamabad hopes that visible warmth toward the World Bank chief could reinforce its credibility as a cooperative stakeholder at a time when loan negotiations and debt restructuring remain urgent.

At the same time, sources familiar with Sikh affairs in Pakistan point to a stark contradiction in Islamabad’s posture. Most Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan, including historic shrines, are administered by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), a state body with negligible Sikh representation and strong influence from Pakistan’s security establishment.

Over the years, Pakistan Army–linked authorities have repeatedly interfered in gurdwara land management, access and security. Sacred Sikh spaces, sources say, are often treated as strategic assets and revenue-generating pilgrimage centres rather than protected religious institutions.

“The welcome to Ajay Banga should be seen in contrast with the everyday reality faced by Sikh institutions and activists in Pakistan," a source close to Sikh gurdwara committees said.

Ajay Banga’s family history also underlines this contradiction. His Sikh family was forced to flee Khushab during the violence of Partition in 1947 — atrocities against Sikhs that Pakistan’s establishment has never formally acknowledged.

Indian intelligence sources also point to the continued house arrest of Gopal Singh Chawla, a Sikh activist previously used by Pakistani intelligence agencies for Khalistan-related propaganda. Chawla has reportedly been under surveillance and movement restrictions for nearly three years.

CNN-News18 had earlier reported that his prolonged house arrest is seen as a deliberate signal to both Sikh communities and foreign observers — underscoring that engagement with minorities remains tightly controlled and instrumentalised.

“Once Chawla outlived his utility, restrictions were imposed in the name of security," a source said.

For Indian officials, the contrast is telling: a high-profile embrace of a globally influential Sikh figure on one hand, and tight control over Sikh religious and political expression on the other.

As one senior official summed it up: “Ajay Banga’s visit is personal. Pakistan’s welcome is transactional — driven by water, loans and leverage."

News world Pakistan's Outreach To World Bank Chief Tied To Indus Waters Treaty Calculus. Here's How | Exclusive

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