Lahore: To resolve issues on the various hydroelectric projects, including the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian and Pakistan have agreed to undertake the Indus Waters Treaty mandated tours by their respective Commissioners in the Indus basin on either side.

The two-day high-level bilateral talks helped to come to a conclusion over the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore and after that this was the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since the time Imran Khan became Prime Minister on August 18. The Ministry of External Affairs said that deliberations were held over strengthening further the role of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) for matters that come under the 1960 Treaty.

According to the provisions available in the treaty, technical discussions were done to implement various kinds of hydroelectric projects as per the provisions of Indus Waters Treaty which includes Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The ministry said that both the countries agreed to undertake the Treaty made mandatory tours of both the Indus Commissioners in the Indus basin on both sides.

The next meeting for the PIC was agreed to be held in India on mutually convenient schedule and dates.

As per the news reports in Pakistan, India has given an invitation to Pakistani experts to visit the sites of the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalani hydropower projects over the Chenab river for the next month to address Islamabad’s issues or concerns over the project’s construction.

As per the news report by Dawn, India rejected Pakistan’s objections to the construction work during the meetings.

“India has hinted at continuation of the work on both the hydropower projects,” an official said.

Both the delegations had earlier reiterated their stance over the issue of construction of the projects. Commissioner P K Saxena for the Indian Water Commission reviewed Pakistan’s objections very carefully. And after that, it also presented its own point of view, the report said.

From the Pakistani side, the Commissioner for Indus Waters was Syed Meher Ali Shah.

As per the news reports, Pakistan sought for the reduction of the height of Pakal Dul’s reservoir up to five metres, properly maintenance of 400-metre height above sea level while making spillway’s gates of the Pakal Dul project, along with the clarification of the pattern and mechanism for the water storage and releases and also some technical concerns over design of the Lower Kalnai hydropower project.

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