India presses for urgent Indus Commission meet with Pakistan

India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice to Pakistani counterpart to notify a date for the commencement of interstate bilateral negotiations to rectify an ongoing material breach of the Indus Water treaty, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. He further said that India is not involved in the process of the arbitration court. “We have issued rather our India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice on January 25 for modification of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 to his Pakistani counterpart.

This notice was issued with the intent to provide Pakistan an opportunity to enter into government-to-government negotiations, to rectify an ongoing material breach of the treaty. We have called upon Pakistan to notify a suitable date for the commencement of interstate bilateral negotiations under article XII (3) within 90 days,” Bagchi said in response to a question on India’s notice to Pakistan for amendments to the Indus water treaty. “I am not aware of a response from Pakistan as of yet. I am not aware of any response or comment by the World Bank,” Bagchi said.

He added by saying that India is not participating or involved in the process in any way, in response to a media query on New Delhi’s position on the arbitration court. India issued notice to Pakistan on 25 January for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad’s actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources. The notice was conveyed on January 25 through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT. The objective of the notice for modification, according to sources, is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT. This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years.