Pakistan has written to India seeking information about the Svalkot hydroelectric project on the River Chenab, according to the Foreign Office spokesperson.
Pakistan has voiced concerns over the alleged variations in the flow of the Chenab River and has written a letter to India seeking clarification. They also commented on an incident in Bihar involving the removal of a Muslim woman's veil.
Pakistan has urged India to fully adhere to the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), expressing concerns about the level of detail in flood information shared through diplomatic channels.
It is the first major contact of its kind since the Pakistan-India conflict in May, the paper said, citing sources.
The Indus system of rivers comprises the main river -- the Indus -- along with its five left bank tributaries, namely, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej, the Jhelum and the Chenab. The right bank tributary, the Kabul, does not flow through India.
"I do not think they (World Bank) are in a position to interpret the treaty for us. It is a treaty between our two countries and our assessment of the treaty is that there is a provision of graded approach," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Earlier, Pakistani media reports claimed that the Indian delegation agreed to halt the progress on Miyar hydroelectric project's design after accepting Pakistan's reservations.
During the meeting, Pakistan was expected to highlight concerns about the three Indian hydro projects being built on the rivers flowing to Pakistan.
The outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah on Monday described Pakistan's Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah as an 'Indian agent' after he dismissed the widespread impression that India is 'stealing' Pakistan's share of river waters. Senior JuD leader Abdul Rehman Makki chided Shah and said his statement had weakened the case of 180 million Pakistanis. "He (Shah) is trying to bail out India over the water issue and the people of Pakistan are not convinced," he said.
Indus Water Commissioner G Ranganathan has written a letter to his Pakistani counterpart Syed Jamaat Ali Shah inviting him for discussing the issue
After threatening to move World Bank over the Kishenganga project, Pakistan is set to rake up with India the issue of two more hydel power units being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir when Indus water commissioners of the two countries meet in New Delhi on May 31.
Pakistan's Indus Waters commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah informed the media about the roadmap and said both sides had decided to hold two additional meetings one at the end of March and another in June for "dispute resolution". Both meetings will be in addition to the mandatory one scheduled for May, he said.
Pakistan today pressed India to release its share of river waters under the Indus treaty as it has documentary evidence that its due share of water had been "stolen" from the Chenab river.
The talks will be the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Khan became prime minister on August 18.
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