ISLAMABAD: A three-day meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission will begin in Islamabad on Tuesday, Pakistani state media reported.
In recent years, India has begun ambitious irrigation plans and construction of many upstream dams, saying its use of upstream water is strictly in line with the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), signed between the two countries in 1960.
Pakistan has opposed some of these projects saying they violate the World Bank-mediated treaty on the sharing of the Indus waters, upon which 80 percent of its irrigated agriculture depends.
A nine-member Indian delegation had arrived in Pakistan to attend the 117th meeting of the commission on Tuesday, the Radio Pakistan reported.
“During the meeting, Pakistan’s observations on various Indian new run-of-the-river hydro-electric plants will be discussed,” the report read. “The matter relating to sharing of flood information by the Indian side would also be reviewed.”
Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah would be leading his side at the talks.
The discussions are likely to be focused on Pakistan’s objections to Indian hydroelectric projects namely Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Lower Kalnai (48 MW) and Kiru (624 MW) in Chenab basin in Jammu and Kashmir and few small hydroelectric projects in Ladakh, The Hindustan Times reported.
Under the IWT, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run-of-the-river projects on the western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation.
The pact also gives the right to Pakistan to raise objections to designs of Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers. Pakistan has raised objections on the design of these projects.
Shortly after the partition of the sub-continent into Pakistan and India in August 1947, tensions soared over water rights of the rivers flowing between them.
Since the ratification of the treaty after nine years of negotiations, both neighbors have not engaged in any water wars, despite waging full-scale wars over the Muslim majority Kashmir valley, which both claim in full and rule in part.
Three-day Indus commission meeting begins in Islamabad today
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Three-day Indus commission meeting begins in Islamabad today
- A nine-member Indian delegation has arrived in Pakistan to attend the meeting
- Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah will be leading the Pakistani side at the talks
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
