• The 118th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) comprising Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan was held on May 30-31 in New Delhi. 

• The Indian delegation was led by A.K. Pal, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters and the visiting Pakistan delegation was led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters.

• The annual report of the India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission for the year ending March 31 was finalised and signed at the meeting.

• The Commission appreciated the commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Indus Waters Treaty. 

• It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in Pakistan.

The Indus Waters Treaty

• India and Pakistan share the waters of six rivers — Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.

• The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory. 

• Under the Treaty, the water from the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas — averaging around 33 million acre feet (MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use.

• The water from western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.

• The Treaty also sets forth distinct procedures to handle issues which may arise: “questions” are handled by the Commission, “differences” are to be resolved by a Neutral Expert, and “disputes” are to be referred to a seven-member arbitral tribunal called the “Court of Arbitration.” 

• As a signatory to the Treaty, the World Bank’s role is limited and procedural.

• The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), which has a commissioner from each country.

• The two commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

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