Indus water treaty

India and Pakistan need to drop hard line stances on the Indus Waters Treaty

renegotiation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 

In its fourth notice to Pakistan since January 2023, India has escalated / तेज़ी लाना  its demand for the renegotiation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), now calling off / end all meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) until Pakistan agrees to sit at the table for talks. 

 internationally as a model template 

India’s demand last year followed a logjam in the entire process, once held up internationally as a model template for water-sharing agreements. 

India was able to win two major disputes by adhering to the processes laid out, including the 

• Baglihar Dam project in 2007, 
• allegations that India was interfering with Pakistan’s Neelum project in 2013. 

Kishenganga and Ratle projects  

The issue over how to proceed on dispute resolution for the Kishenganga and Ratle projects has snowballed फैलना या महत्वपूर्ण (एवं विचारणीय) हो जाना  since 2016, when Pakistan escalated the disputes — having a neutral expert look at them and demanding a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

two parallel processes of the dispute mechanism  

World Bank — it is a co-signatory and guarantor of the IWT — decided to allow two parallel processes of the dispute mechanism to run at the same time. 

To make matters worse, Pakistan turned its back on the neutral expert’s proceedings, while India has boycotted the PCA hearings at The Hague.

India’s notices and decision by the Modi government  

 Pakistan has been cold to India’s notices on renegotiating the treaty and the decision by the Modi government to stop all PIC meetings has put the future of the process in peril / danger. 

leaders on both sides 

 Mr. Modi’s statement after the 2016 Uri attack, that “blood and water” cannot flow together, is perhaps the most egregious example.

relation of both countries 

There is no political engagement or trade and the 2021 LoC ceasefire agreement is in danger after growing terror attacks and deaths of Indian Army personnel. 

SCO Heads of Government meeting  

All eyes are now on New Delhi’s response to Pakistan’s invitation for the SCO Heads of Government meeting on October 15-16. 

Such an opening could present an opportunity for talks on the way forward. No doubt, new-age issues such as climate change and the need for 

• renewable energy 
• hydropower options on the Indus necessitate a re-opening of the 64-year-old Treaty.

 How that is done, along with resolving current disputes, will decide whether the two countries can save the treaty....

source the hindu