Islamabad: To redress disputes in sharing of Indus river water, Pakistan has allowed India to carry out inspection of lower Indus while New Delhi allowed Islamabad to inspect Jhelum basin.

Pakistani Commissioner for Indus Waters (PCIW) will visit the Jhelum basin to inspect Kishanganga HEP in the last week of September, followed by the tour of India’s Commissioner for Indus Waters (ICIW) to the Kotri barrage in the lower Indus.

According to the minutes of the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held between the two countries from August 29 to 30 in Lahore, which were accessed by Dawn, “Pakistan urged India to arrange for the Special Tour of Inspection of the projects in Jhelum basin including Kishanganga HEP which is pending since 2014, on which ICIW gave assurance.”

Both the countries agreed to conduct the General Tours of Inspection which could not be conducted since 2014.

“Since the talks between the two countries have been restored, Pakistani team may inspect the Kishanganga project on the eve of the next meeting of the permanent commission for the Indus waters in India or before this,” a senior official told Dawn on Monday.

Pakistan and India also agreed to exchange the detailed basis of adopting various design parameters for both 48MW Lower Kalnai and 1000MW Pakal Dul HEPs at the Chenab River, Dawn quoted.

In the meeting, both the countries were unanimous about strengthening the role of the Permanent Indus Commission.

Islamabad also highlighted the need and asked New Delhi to share the information about potential projects at the planning stage for examination.

According to 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, signed by fomer Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan’s president Ayub Khan, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — had been allocated to India and the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan, except for certain non-consumptive uses for India.