Pak-India, there appears to be no breakthrough in two-day talks between experts’ teams of Pakistan and India which met in Lahore on Aug 30-31, 2018.
Had it been any meaningful outcome, they would have either talked to media or the organizers would have issued any communiqué.
Maybe it is how you look at the things like Water Resource Secretary Shamail Ahmad Khawaja termed Indians’ permission of inspecting two hydropower projects 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnal a breakthrough.
Pakistani experts may visit the controversial projects at the end of next month. Also, Indian side assured their Pakistani counterparts of taking up Pakistani objections over the two projects seriously and resolve them amicably only after preparations of technical memorandums which would be presented in New Delhi meeting.
During the visit, Pakistani experts will examine the sites, construction in the light of the provisions of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and the objections raised by Pakistan to the aforementioned projects being executed by India over the Chenab River, Khawaja told a newspaper reporter.
Both delegations headed by Pakistani and Indian commissioners for Indus waters resumed talks which was held after 2014 and reiterated their stance over the construction of the projects.
The Indian side, led by Pradeep Kumar Saxena and Pakistani side by Commissioner for Indus Water Syed Mohammad Mehr Ali Shah reviewed Pakistan`s objections minutely.
Pakistan demands reduction in the height of Pakal Dul`s reservoir up to five meters, maintenance of 40-meter height above sea level while making spillways` gates of the Pakal Dul project, besides clarifying the pattern and mechanism for the water storage and releases and some technical concerns over the design of the Lower Kalnal hydropower project.
The two-day moot mutually decided that both countries would separately prepare technical memorandums based on their point of view and possible solutions.
The two countries stuck to their stances on the issue. Both the countries reiterated their stance in the meeting. However, the Indian delegation finally responded to Pakistan`s demand for looking into this issue in the next meeting, one of the participants say
