Indus Waters becoming crucial for Indo Pakistan relations

The Commission has last met in Lahore in 2018, which otherwise is supposed to meet at least once a year. Because of the hostilities between India and Pakistan, particularly, after the abrogation of article 370 and subsequent violent incidents along the Line of Control the meetings could not be held. It is seemingly the backchannel diplomacy that has broken the ice and has brought both nations to the table. As a result of which the renewed ceasefire agreement was signed a month ago, writes ETV Bharat's News Editor Bilal Bhat.

Hyderabad: The Permanent Commission on Indus Waters of India and Pakistan are meeting to discuss and deliberate on disputes over water sharing and lawful distribution which they had agreed to each other through a treaty in 1960. A delegation in this regard is reaching New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss many contentious issues-particularly Hydro projects constructed on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.

The commission has last met in Lahore in 2018, which otherwise is supposed to meet at least once a year. Because of the hostilities between India and Pakistan, particularly, after the abrogation of article 370 and subsequent violent incidents along the Line of Control the meetings could not be held. It is seemingly the backchannel diplomacy that has broken the ice and has brought both nations to the table. As a result of which the renewed ceasefire agreement was signed a month ago.

Other agreements like the Indus Water Treaty signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 for fair distribution and sharing of river waters originating from either side of the border flowing into one another’s territory are also going to be discussed to end disputes. Before the treaty was signed it was the standstill agreement of 1948 which would regulate the sharing and distribution of waters between the divided nations.

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The six rivers that come under the treaty are Indus, Jehlum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. Pakistan, according to the treaty, enjoys complete rights over the western rivers-Jehlum, Chenab and Indus- originating from the Indian side flowing into Pakistan and similarly, India has no mandate to deprive Pakistan of its rights over the waters by constructing dams for the storage of water.

India as per the treaty has complete control over the rest of the three rivers- Ravi, Beas and Sutlej for its use. Though, river Indus originates from the Tibet plateau of China and but Beijing has been kept out of the treaty while the World Bank is one of the signatories of the agreement together with India and Pakistan. The role of the World Bank is of an arbitrator and will not fund or support any project which violates the framework of IWT. It was, actually, the World Bank which facilitated the two countries in signing the treaty.

The Indus, Chenab and Jehlum are the three main rivers that play an important role for Pakistan in its economy and are like a lifeline for them. Their agro-economy is mainly dependent on these rivers. Chenab and Jehlum flow through Jammu and Kashmir enter into Pakistan via the ceasefire line also known as Line of Control is silent these days after the renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan was signed.

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The Pakistan Permanent Commission on the Indus waters led by Syed Mehr Ali Shah and his counterpart Mr P.K. Saxena will have a team of experts from Meteorological, Irrigation and other related departments to deliberate primarily on disputes like Baghlihar, Pakal Dul hydro projects of Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. Both the hydro projects are constructed on the Chenab river in two adjoining districts- Doda and Kishtwar- of the Jammu region.

Pakistan has earlier shown resentment over the construction of dams on Chenab and had sought access to the sites. A team of experts, in fact, had visited many sites in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere and the work which was suspended was later resumed after the World Bank’s intervention.

But the continuous plans of India over the increase in Hydro projects on its rivers have irked Pakistan a lot to which Pakistani leadership has begun to reach out to Indian counterparts.

It was Imran Khan who first showed interest in talks with India and then endorsed by Pakistan’s army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in one of the defence strategic events in Islamabad last week where he suggested India create a ‘conducive environment’ in Kashmir for peaceful dialogue.

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In fact, Bajwa went a step ahead and said the past should be buried in order to move ahead. Analysts from both sides see this radical shift in the policy of Pakistan over Kashmir where they have made no mention of the restoration of article 370 or any reference to the United Nations resolutions. It was the renewed ceasefire that broke the ice between them for attempting to end hostilities at the borders.

Pakistan seems to have given up on its stand over Kashmir which becomes clearer by the day. Tightening the noose around the separatists like Syed Ali Geelani, the hardcore Pro Pakistan face in Kashmir after he looked at the ceasefire critically by calling it a compromise is one classic example. Waters flowing to Pakistan from Kashmir play a major role in Indo-Pak politics over Kashmir is what the latest Indus Water Commission meeting refers to.

River Jehlum, which originates from South Kashmir’s Verinag, seems to have diminished Pakistan’s longing for Kashmir and is eager to end all disputes to have a meaningful dialogue for the larger peace in the region. It is actually Kashmir that puts Pakistan into complexities like FATF and allows more hostilities between them over waters they share. Therefore, Bajwa and Khan realise the need to address all issues with India which include the water disputes.

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All these developments are happening at a time when geopolitical changes are bringing a new world order where India and Pakistan are strategically playing a key role. On one side India is part of the QUAD against China and Pakistan on the contrary is a key ally of Beijing in its BRI project. China and Russia are now all-time closers. It will be interesting to see whether the talks over Indus Waters will make any difference for them on the bitterness they have for each other over Kashmir or it will be a time-bound move. Pakistan is apparently showing a sea change in its approach towards the Kashmir problem and tries to focus more on their domestic matters than on the issue itself.