Talks on water

There are finally signs of progress on the Pakistan-India front – however small they might be. After a tense year in which India continued to blame Pakistan for its internal problems, India has agreed to participate in an annual meeting of the permanent Indus Waters Commission to be held in Pakistan this month. It is worth remembering that in the aftermath of the Uri attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the prospect of the dissolution of the Indus Waters Treaty. A meeting of the IWT commission to be held in September last year had to be cancelled after India unilaterally announced a suspension of talks on the treaty. While everyone understood that Modi was playing politics, there are real disputes between India and Pakistan on water that need to be resolved. Both countries know that domestic political rallies are not where these matters are discussed. They must be thrashed out in face-to-face meetings. If these do not work, the next option is to go to the international courts and other bodies. But going to the courts has no worth unless both countries are willing to abide by the rules. It is also important to note that it was only India that had refused to talk; the Pakistani side had kept space for dialogue.

Put in a larger context, it is bizarre that India, being the bigger country, is the one making the most hue and cry about water. Unlike Pakistan, India has more water sources to rely upon. But Pakistan is an easy card for a regime built on rhetorical statements. Finally, sense has prevailed. According to the Ministry of Water and Power, controversial issues such as the Rattle and Kishanganga dams will be kept off the table during the meeting. This is a sensible approach. With the World Bank having already been approached for dispute resolution, it is best to stay focused on getting the dialogue process going. The meeting between the two water commissioners will serve an important symbolic purpose. In a tense period between the two countries, it will signal that the Indus Waters Treaty is still intact and that India is willing to accept this fact. Things are moving back to normal in the context of water relations between Pakistan and India. This is a positive sign. Pakistan deserves credit for not escalating the conflict on the treaty. We remained patient – recognising that India will come back to the talks table. That said, how the recent politicisation of the Indus Waters Treaty will affect the future of dialogue between Pakistan and India on water remains to be seen.