ISLAMABAD – India and Pakistan will hold a two-day meeting of the PermanentIndus Commission from Thursday to discuss various issues under the IndusWater Treaty.

This will be the 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC),which should meet at least once a year as per the Indus Water Treaty (IWT),they said.

India’s Indus water commissioner PK Saxena and the Ministry of ExternalAffairs (MEA) officials will be part of the Indian delegation for theannual meeting. Pakistan’s six-member delegation will be led by SyedMuhammad 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 meeting will be held on March 29 and March 30,” a government sourcetold PTI.

According to the sources, the issues relating to India’s Ratlehydroelectricity, Pakul Dul and Lower Kalnai projects, located in Jammu andKashmir, may come up for discussion during the meeting.

Pakistan contends that Ratle (850 MW), Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai(48 MW) projects — located in the Chenab basin — were violating the IWT,signed in 1960.

“But India is very clear that designs of the projects are in accordancewith the treaty,” a sources said.

The sources said that the issues concerning the 340 MW Kishangangahydroelectric project, located on river Jhelum’s tributary in Bandiporadistrict of Jammu and Kashmir, may not figure during the meeting since theproject has already been commissioned.

The PIC had last met on March 20 and March 21 in Islamabad.

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.