Pakistani Delegation Visits Jammu for Indus Water Treaty Discussions

Pakistani Delegation Visits Jammu for Indus Water Treaty Discussions

Dil Bar Irshad | June 23, 2024 | 11:28 PM IST | India, Pakistan News, World | Follow on Google News

Pakistani Delegation Visits Jammu for Indus Water Treaty Discussions

Pakistani Delegation Visits Jammu for Indus Water Treaty Discussions

Key Highlights:

1. Pakistani delegation arrives in Jammu for discussions on the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
2. The delegation will visit various dam sites in the coming days.
3. Ongoing disputes over India’s Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects remain unresolved.

Kathmandu [Nepal], June 23: A Pakistani delegation arrived in Jammu on Sunday evening to engage in discussions related to the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Over the forthcoming days, the delegation is scheduled to visit several dam sites.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960, establishes a framework for cooperation and information exchange between the two nations regarding the use of rivers. The treaty’s mechanism includes the Permanent Indus Commission, which consists of a commissioner from each country, and outlines a process for addressing “questions,” “differences,” and “disputes” that may arise.

The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) is a bilateral commission created to implement and manage the objectives of the treaty, brokered by the World Bank. It comprises Indus Commissioners from both India and Pakistan, who discuss technical matters related to the treaty’s implementation.

India and Pakistan have long been at odds over two hydroelectric projects: the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) plants. Pakistan contends that these projects violate treaty provisions, while India asserts its right to build them and maintains that their designs comply with treaty guidelines.

In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a Neutral Expert to address its technical objections to the Kishanganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs). However, in 2016, Pakistan retracted this request and proposed arbitration instead. Despite India’s repeated attempts to find a mutually agreeable resolution, Pakistan has refused to discuss the issue during five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022.

The World Bank has urged both countries to explore alternative methods for resolving their disagreements over the Indus Water Treaty. As the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Jammu proceeds, there is hope for progress in addressing these longstanding disputes.

(Inputs from ANI)

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.