ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India on Thursday reiterated their commitment to applying the Indus Waters Treaty in its true spirit and expressed the stopgap that the coming meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission of the two nations would be held at an early date in India.
At the conclusion of the 117th meeting of the Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the whole diapason of water-related issues between Pakistan and India was bandied.
“ Pakistan reiterated its compliances on the Kiru Hydroelectric design (HEP) located upstream swash Chenab and India’s new run-of-the- swash small HEPs on Western gutters,” said a statement issued by MOFA.
It said the response to Pakistan’s expostulations to Indian systems, including Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai, was also sought and the Indian side was also prompted to communicate advance deluge- inflow information as per the vittles of the Treaty and the practice in vogue since 1989 until 2018.
Under the applicable vittles of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), 1960, the meeting takes place alternately in Pakistan and India annually. The Indian delegation comprising 10 members was headed by Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters Pradeep Kumar Saxena, while Pakistan’s delegation was led by the country’s Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah.
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Informed sources said that Islamabad conveyed to the visiting side on the issue of MW Pakal Dal Hydropower design on the Chenab River that the Pakistan Commissioner Indus Water (PCIW) had decided to bring Composition 9 of the convention that provides for resolution of differences and controversies through colorful transnational forums of arbitration.
The Indian side was of the view that it was too early to bring Composition 9 of the convention, saying that conversations on the design at the manager position hadn’t reached a stage where it could be taken to the transnational forum. It said it had tried to address Islamabad’s enterprises and was ready to do further to satisfy Pakistan.
Pakistan has serious expostulations over the waterway and freeboard of the design. The hosts demanded that a visit to the point should be arranged in the early part of May and hold another periodic meeting on the issue so that its conversations could be made part of the periodic report and twinkles of the PCIW.
On the matter of Lower Kalnai, the Indian side reported that 2014 cataracts had damaged the design and development workshop couldn’t be proceeded since also nor there was any liability of any immediate resumption of the workshop and hence should be seen in that environment.
The Pakistani side needed the callers to give advance information about the resumption of the workshop as needed under the convention and arrange a point visit for Pakistani experts. The Indian delegation agreed to this demand.
The two sides also bandied the periodic advance exchange of deluge affiliated information as it used to be between 1989-2018 because it wasn’t only an issue of the convention but a philanthropic aspect, as well as inadequate or early information, could lead to loss of life and property. India agreed to do that.
