Pakistan demands another round of water talks with India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has demanded to hold another round of water talks with India in October to discuss issues pertaining to sharing of water resources under the Indus Water Agreement, ARY News reported on Friday, citing sources.

According to details, Indus Water Commissioner Syed Mehar Ali Shah has penned down a letter to his Indian counterpart, demanding another round of talks to discuss Pakistan-India water dispute.

Sources told ARY News that Pakistan has demanded with India to convene a meeting on latter’s controversial water projects including Pakal Dul. The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held in May 2022.

Sources said India had expressed its willingness to communicate advance flood-flow information as per the provisions of the Treaty and the practice in vogue since 1989 until 2018.

The Indian side assured to arrange tours/inspections of Pakal Dul and other controversial water projects, the sources added.

In the last meeting, Islamabad sought New Delhi’s response to its objections over Indian water projects including Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai.

Pakal Dul is a hydropower project with expected gross storage of 108,000 acre feet of water. The project was designed in a manner that would facilitate the dam being filled every monsoon season between June and August.

Islamabad’s position on the controversial project was that the design of the project could affect the flow of the Chenab River in Pakistan. This would have a direct impact on the agricultural areas adjacent to Head Marala, a major reservoir near Sialkot.