Modi chaired high level meeting to discuss the Indus water treaty

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi-Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Monday, chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. The meeting at PM’s official residence was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, PM’s principal secretary Nripendra Misra, and officials from the Water Resources Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs.

The officials are believed to have briefed the Prime Minister on different aspects of the treaty. Under the 56-year-old treaty, which was signed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six river – Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum – were to be shared between the two countries. However, in view of Pakistan’s sustained involvement in anti-India terror activities, the latest being the attack on an army camp in Uri, India appears to be mulling a review of the water sharing agreement.

In fact, on September 22, India had made it clear that ‘mutual trust and cooperation’ was important for such a treaty to work. “For any such treaty to work, its important that there must be mutual cooperation and trust between both the sides. It cannot be a one-sided affair,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said cryptically when asked if the government will rethink on the treaty given the growing strain between the two countries. He had also noted that the preamble of the treaty itself said that it was based on ‘goodwill’ and had said that there were differences over its implementation between the two countries.