Pak agrees to defer annual meeting of Indus Commissioners: Sources

Pakistan on Friday agreed to defer the annual meeting between their Indus Commissioners, a request India had made in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown, sources said.

Sources added a letter was received from Pakistan's Indus Commissioner on Friday, agreeing to defer the meeting by mutual agreement.

Although no fresh date has been fixed for the meeting, discussion was on to hold it before March 31.

India has imposed a nationwide lockdown till mid-April, in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Indus Commissioners of India and Pakistan are supposed to hold meeting by March 31 every year, according to the Indus Waters Treaty signed between the South Asian neighbours.

Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, "the Commission shall meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan".

The last meeting of the Commission was held in Lahore in August 2018.

The Permanent Indus Commission, formed under the Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960. Indus commissioners of both the countries act as representatives of the respective governments for the treaty, which deals with sharing of river waters between the two countries.