Officials from India and Pakistan have discussed a wide range of water-related issues during a meeting as part of the Permanent Commission on Indus Water (PCIW), the Foreign Office said.
The Indus water discussions have survived the thaw in relations because the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 requires both India and Pakistan to continue.
The two-day 118th Permanent Indus Commission conference between India and Pakistan reached its last session on Tuesday, with both sides expressing optimism.
Discussion
The conference began on Monday with a six-member Pakistani team, including a woman, visiting India to participate in the event held yearly under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960.
Because both nations consider the IWT obligatory, the Indus negotiations have survived the freeze in relations.
Pakistani delegation members are Syed Muhammed, Mehar Ali Shah, Sahibzad Khan, Habib Ullah Bodla, Saman Muneeb, and Khalid Mahmood.
The six-member Indian delegation is led by AK Pal, the country’s new Indus Commissioner.
The conference takes place just three months after the last one in Islamabad.
The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) convened its 117th meeting in Islamabad from March 1-3. PK Saxena, India’s Indus Commissioner, led the Indian team.
According to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) of 1960, which governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus basin’s six rivers, both India and Pakistan must appoint Indus Commissioners.
The Permanent Indus Commission must convene alternately in India and Pakistan at least once a year.
India holds absolute rights to three of the six rivers in the Indus Basin: the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi, whereas Pakistan has exclusive rights to the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides are expected to meet at least once a year, alternating in India and Pakistan. The most recent summit, held in New Delhi on March 23-24, 2021, focused on exchanging hydrological and flood data.
In March, India and Pakistan reaffirmed their resolve to execute the Indus Waters Treaty fully and expressed hope that the Permanent Indus Commission’s next meeting will be conducted in India soon.
The Indus discussions are not seen as a forerunner to a more substantial engagement between the two countries.
The two nations last had diplomatic discussions in December 2015.
While they did manage to proclaim a resumption of meeting at the time, the process could never take off due to the Pathankot incident.
Since Pakistan’s new administration assumed office, the two nations have discussed ways to begin talks.
Still, Islamabad has insisted that India first make a “concession” on the Kashmir issue.
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