Pak team to reach India over the weekend for Indus water talks

A 3-member Pakistani delegation will visit India over the weekend for talks under the Indus Water Commission. The talks will be on water sharing issues under the Indus Water Pact, and comes months after an Indian delegation had visited Islamabad for the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC). The permanent commission had met from March 1-3 & was led by PK Saxena, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters. This is the 2nd Pakistani Delegation to visit India in the last few weeks. Earlier this month a Pakistani delegation visited Delhi for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) regional anti terror structure (RATS) meet.

During the March Indus Water Commission meet, Indian side underscored that all its projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty and provided technical details in support of the position. Both sides also discussed the issue of the Fazilka drain, and Pakistan assured that all necessary actions will continue to be taken to ensure the free flow of Fazilka drain into the river Sutlej.

Under the Indus water treaty of 1960, waters of 3 Eastern Rivers - Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi is allocated to India for unrestricted use while the waters of 3 Western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab goes to Pakistan. Additionally, New Delhi has the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river projects on the 3 Western rivers, subject to specific criteria for design.  Pakistan can under the treaty raise objections on the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on Western rivers. In the past several issues have been resolved, or but either side can go to neutral experts or courts.