NEW DELHI- The two-day meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC)began here Thursday with India and Pakistan expected to discuss variousissues under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) during the parleys.
The Indian delegation for the annual meeting comprises India’s Indus WaterCommissioner P K Saxena, a representative of the Ministry of ExternalAffairs (MEA) and technical experts, sources said.
Pakistan’s six-member delegation for the commission’s 114th meeting isbeing led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah.
The meeting will take place in the backdrop of the continuing tensionbetween the two countries over a host of issues, including the allegedharassment of diplomats.
The PIC is an established mechanism under the IWT, which mandates it toestablish and maintain cooperative arrangements for the implementation ofthe water distribution pact and to promote cooperation between India andPakistan in the development of the Indus water systems.
Commissioners are representatives of their respective governments for allmatters arising out of this treaty.
Pakistan has been expressing concerns over India’s Ratle (850 MW), PakalDul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) projects — located in the Chenabbasin – contending they violated the IWT, signed in 1960, sources said.
India, however, has been maintaining that designs of these projects arevery much in accordance with the treaty.
The IWT covers the water distribution and sharing rights of six rivers —Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
The treaty specifies that waters from the three western rivers — Indus,Jhelum and Chenab — are reserved for Pakistan, while waters from easternrivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas — are for reserved for India.
The PIC had last met in March 2017 in Islamabad. The meeting of the PIC isheld alternately in India and Pakistan at least once every year as mandatedby the treaty.