India Likely to Attend Indus Waters Treaty Meeting in Lahore

In a change of heart, India announced that it will participate in the Permanent Indus Commission meeting after being invited by Pakistan in a bid to resolve the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), The Indian Express reported.

The meeting which is scheduled to be in Lahore in March, comes after Islamabad accused India of violating the treaty and planning Kishenganga and Ralte hydroelectric projects on the Kishanganga and Chenab rivers to block water flowing to Pakistan.

After the Uri attack, tensions heightened between the two countries. Pakistan had warned of “appropriate action” if India violates the Indus Water Treaty and said it is closely monitoring the situation, amid reports that the Indian government may revisit the key water-sharing accord, which led the World Bank to urge the disputing country to resolve their disagreements.

The bilateral agreement arbitrated by the World Bank gives control over three eastern rivers – the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej – to India. It guarantees an unrestricted control to Pakistan of three western rivers – Chenab, Jhelum and the Indus, which flow through Jammu and Kashmir.