New Delhi

The first official engagement between India is Pakistan after the bilateral promise of maintaining peace on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir by the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) was made would focus on two ongoing power projects in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that Islamabad has raised objections to.

The five-member Pakistani delegation led by Syed Mehr Ali Shah is arriving today for the meeting of the Permanent Commission of Indus Water Treaty. The delegation would hold meetings with Indian counterparts led by India’s Commissioner for Indus water commission P K Saxena on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pakistan has announced its team will question Indian on the 1000 MW Pakul Dul and 850MW Lower Kalnai projects being built on river Chenab river in Doda-Kishtwar in Jammu region. 

The work on the ambitious Pakul project has been going on even after Pakistan’s objections and it’s to be commissioner in three years. The project will enhance power availability in J&K as 12 per cent of the generation will be given to the UT free.

The Pakistani team had visited the sites of both these projects in 2019 after India had addressed its concerns.

The Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 under the aegis of the World Bank. The treaty is considered to be a fine model of countries sharing resources, particularly as precious as water. Under it, the waters of the eastern rivers flowing through Punjab – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – are for the exclusive use of India while that of western rivers -  Chenab, Jhelum and Indus –  flowing through J&K and Ladakh are for Pakistan.

Under it, Pakistan has the right to monitor all the water storage projects on western Rivers since these can hinder the flow of water. The design of each project to be built over the rivers in J&K has to be shown to Pakistan. In the past, Pakistan has lost its case on the Bhagliar power project before the World Bank appointed arbitrator. Pakistan has been routinely objecting to all the power dams being build in J&K and Ladakh.

Again Pakistan has threatened to go for international arbitration over Pakul and Lowe Kalnai power projects if India doesn't meet its concerns.

Pakistani delegation comprises members of the Indus Water Commission, Water and Power Development Authority, Attorney General Office, Meteorology, Irrigation and other departments concerned.

Pakistan is alarmed by India’s threat to stop the water of rivers in case it didn’t stop using terror as a weapon of its foreign policy against India. In the heat of the moment after the Pulwama attack, the demand to scrap the IWT with Pakistan was also heard in India.