Indo-Pak talks on Wullar Barrage on May 11

Pakistan and India are holding four-day Secretary level parleys on Wullar Barrage dispute beginning May 11 in Islamabad, official sources told Business Recorder. Indian team will be led by Water Resources Secretary, Dhruv Vijai Singh, while Javed Iqbal, Secretary Water and Power, will represent Pakistan in the much desired talks.
On Monday, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal called on Secretary Water and Power and discussed the pros and cons of deliberations on the decade old dispute and possibilities of progress. Both countries are trying to resolve Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation Project dispute besides the Kashmir issue. On a couple of occasions a resolution seemed imminent but unforeseen developments marred progress.
The Indus Water Treaty, 1960, is a water sharing treaty between India and Pakistan brokered by the World Bank that gives India exclusive rights to the waters and their tributaries of the Eastern rivers of the Indus System before the point where the rivers enter Pakistan. These rivers include Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi. Pakistan has exclusive rights on three Western rivers - the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum. However in violation of the Indus Water Treaty, India built several dams and barrages on the three western rivers which belonged to Pakistan.
India started a barrage (a "navigation project") in 1985 to divert and steal the water from the Indus, the Chebab and the Jhelum but stopped the work two years later following protests from Pakistan. Pakistan argues that the project will obstruct the flow of water to Pakistan and threaten irrigation and power projects.
According to the original Indian plan, the barrage was to be 439-feet long and 40-feet wide, and would have a maximum storage capacity of 0.30 million acres feet of water. Pakistan took the case to Indus Waters Commission in 1986, which a year later admitted its failure to resolve the issue. Before Pakistan moved International Arbitration Court, India stopped construction.
An official told Business Recorder that though the talks would focus on Wullar Barrage other issues including other construction in violation of Treaty might also come under discussion. Recently both countries held Secretary level trade talks and resolved to remove all the bottlenecks which were hindering bilateral trade.