Honour provisions of Indus Water Treaty: Pakistan urges India

Islamabad, Sep 19 (PTI) Responding to India's formal notice seeking a review of the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan on Thursday said it considers the agreement “important” and hoped that New Delhi will also comply with the provisions of the bilateral pact signed exactly 64 years ago.

India on August 30 served a formal notice to Pakistan seeking a review of the agreement citing “fundamental and unforeseen” changes in the circumstances and impact of the persistent cross-border terrorism, government sources in New Delhi said on Wednesday.

The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was signed by India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, after nine years of negotiations with the sole aim of managing six trans-boundary rivers in the basin.

One of the major agreements between India and Pakistan, the IWT has stood the test of time and has been adhered to despite wars and tensions between the two neighbours.

Responding to a question on India's notice, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters here, “Pakistan considers the Indus Water Treaty as an important one and hopes that India will also comply with its provisions.” Baloch pointed out that the two countries have a mechanism of Indus Commissioners and all issues about the treaty can be discussed in it. She also said that any measures to address concerns about the treaty must be taken within the agreement's provisions.

Pakistan receives the entire flow from the three western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, while India has complete rights over the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers.

Of the total supply of 207.2 billion cubic metres, India’s share of the water from the three allotted rivers is 40.7 billion cubic metres, or roughly 20 per cent while Pakistan gets 80 per cent, according to the provisions of the Treaty.

Among the various concerns that New Delhi flagged, the important ones include changes in population demographics, environmental issues and the need to accelerate the development of clean energy to meet India's emission targets. India has planned multiple hydropower projects on its side.

India also cited the impact of persistent cross border terrorism as one of the reasons for demanding the review.

It was the second time in over one-and-half years that India issued a notice to Pakistan seeking modification of the IWT.

In January last year, India issued the first notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the treaty following Islamabad's "intransigence" in handling certain disputes.

New Delhi took the significant step months after the World Bank announced appointing a neutral expert and a chair of the Court of Arbitration to resolve the differences over the Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

India issued the previous notice as it was particularly disappointed over the appointment of the Court of Arbitration.

New Delhi considers the start of the two concurrent processes to resolve the dispute a violation of the provision of the graded mechanism prescribed in the pact and wondered what would happen if the mechanisms came out with contradictory judgements.

India has not cooperated with the Court of Arbitration.

Indus river is considered as the lifeline of Pakistan as almost 90 per cent used for irrigation for its entire course from north to south where it meets the Arabian Sea.

Experts opine that the response by the Foreign Office spokesperson shows that Pakistan is not interested in the revision of the agreement that resolved the thorny issue of water sharing between the two countries. PTI

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