NEW DELHI: Pakistan and India are set to hold meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Lahore from August 29 to 30 to discuss water issues between the two countries.
A nine-member Indian delegation, led by Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters, PK Saxena, and comprising technical experts will arrive in Lahore for the annual meeting on August 28. The Pakistani side will be led by their Indus Commissioner, Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah.
PIC was formed under Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, it includes the Indus commissioners of both the countries. The treaty provides for both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.
The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, had been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan. However, India claims it has unrestricted rights to develop hydroelectric power projects on the western rivers, within the specified parameters of design.
Pakistan says that the design of two under-construction hydroelectric projects of India in Chenab basin, namely Pakal Dul (1000MW) and Lower Kalnai (48MW), violate the treaty’s provisions, while the Indian side insists its right to build these projects and holds that their design is fully in compliance of set guidelines.
The Commission is likely to hold technical discussions on the issues raised by Pakistan on these two projects.
 in Lahore from August 29 to 30 to discuss water issues.){kind=link}