Pakistan responds to Indian notice on Indus Treaty

ISLAMABAD: In a new development, Pakistan has sent its response to India on a notice seeking modifications in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960.

India earlier issued a notice to Pakistan on January 25, seeking modifications in the treaty two days before the hearing of the Court of Arbitration in The Hague that took place on January 27-28. India had extended the notice by invoking Article 12 of the treaty.

According to well-placed sources in the Attorney General’s Office, Pakistan has sent its response in calculated and careful words, saying it was ready to listen to New Delhi’s concerns about the prevalent treaty at the level of the Permanent Commission of Indus Waters (PCIW).

The officials said Pakistan was ready to listen to Indian concerns on the treaty at the level of the Permanent Commission of Indus Waters. They said Pakistan was a lower riparian country while India is upper riparian and the lower riparian country couldn’t flout the Indus Water Treaty’s provisions or commit any material breach. They said the decision about the parleys on changes to the treaty will be taken once Pakistan heard India’s concerns at the PCIW level. However, they said under Article 12 of the treaty, the existing treaty will continue to reign unless the parties to the dispute — Pakistan and India — bilaterally introduced changes to the pact. The sanctity of the existing Indus Waters Treaty cannot be damaged between the two nuclear countries and the whole world cannot afford it. Pakistan did not commit any material violation of IWT, which is why the Indian notice to introduce changes to IWT is uncalled for.