Indian delegation arrives in Pak to hold talks on Indus Waters Treaty

Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah (R) shakes hands with Indian Indus Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena (2L) on his arrival in Pakistan

A delegation of the Indian Water Commission arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to hold crucial talks with its counterpart on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty, the first bilateral engagement since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office.

Pakistan Water Commissioner Syed Mehr Ali Shah and additional commissioner Sheraz Jamil received the nine-member Indian delegation led by Water Commissioner P K Saxena on its arrival here via Wagah border.

Talking to reporters, Shah said talks between the two countries will be held on water issues on Wednesday and Thursday in Lahore.

The talks will be the first official engagement between India and Pak since Khan became PM on August 18.

The last meeting of the Pakistan-India Permanent Indus Commission was held in New Delhi in March during which both the sides had shared details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory.

The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers. However, there have been disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the treaty.