ISLAMABAD: A two-day meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) , starting Thursday, will be held between India and Pakistan in New Delhi.
The meeting will lay emphasis on numerous issues under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) 1960.
The six-member Pakistani delegation under the supervision of Joint Secretary (Water) of Ministry of Water and Power Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah will attend the 114th meeting of PIC. As per the IWT, both the countries must meet once a year to discuss issues, evaluate adherence and maintain implementation of the treaty.
The Indian delegates for the annual meeting will consist of Indus Water Commissioner PK Saxena along with technical experts and one representative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The meeting will be carried out with due consideration to the ongoing contentions between the two neighbors.
Sources revealed that hydroelectric projects of India in Jammu and Kashmir might be included in the meeting’s outlines.
The IWT was brokered by World Bank between India and Pakistan in September 1960 to curtail water dispute on the Indus River System. The treaty demarcated Indus Waters, giving Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan and Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to India. It also provided for grants and funds for the building of dams, canals and barrages.