Islamabad, Pakistan (CU)_ India and Pakistan are hosting the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Islamabad. The annual meeting for 2022 is scheduled from March 1 to 3. On Monday, an Indian team from the Indus Water Commission arrived at Pakistan through the Wagah border crossing.
According to the reports, the three-day negotiations on water issues will take place from March 1 to March 3. Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena will lead the Indian delegation. According to Pakistani media, the Indian water experts team would go to Islamabad for discussions on the two nations’ water conflicts during their three-day visit.
The Permanent Indus Commission’s (PIC) last meeting was organized in New Delhi on March 23-24, 2021. The Indus Waters Treaty, which was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960, requires the two Commissioners to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, due to limitations established in response to the Covid 19 pandemic crisis, the summit could not be held in 2020.
Last year’s Indus water meeting involved discussions on the designs of two Indian hydroelectric projects namely, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). The Indian side maintained that these projects completely comply with the Treaty’s terms and offered technical evidence to back its view. Pakistan had requested India to share information on the design of other Indian hydroelectric projects now under development. The Indian side pledged that information would be provided as and when necessary as per the terms of the Treaty.
