Indo-Pak water meet on Monday

In the first Indo-Pak interaction after Mumbai terror attacks, the Indus Water Commission will meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss water-sharing issues amid Islamabad's demand for compensation for alleged choking of water supply of Chenab river by New Delhi.

In the first Indo-Pak interaction after Mumbai terror attacks, the Indus Water Commission will meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss water-sharing issues amid Islamabad's demand for compensation for alleged choking of water supply of Chenab river by New Delhi.

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The Pakistani delegation, led by its Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah, arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for the discussions with Indian counterpart G Ranganathan.

The three-day talks will be the first interaction between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai attacks for which terrorists based in that country were responsible.

India has suspended the composite dialogue with Pakistan and said it could be resumed only after Islamabad takes concrete action to punish those behind the 26/11 strikes and dismantles the terror infrastructure existing on its soil.

"The two sides will hold annual talks on issues relating to sharing of water as per the Indus River Treaty (of 1960)," a senior Water Resources Ministry official said.

The two sides are expected to discuss sharing of Chenab river water in the backdrop of allegations by Pakistan that India had choked the supply in August last year to fill the newly-constructed Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan had claimed that it had suffered crop loss due to less water flow and has been demanding compensation. India has rejected the charge, citing hydrological data.

Shah is expected to raise the issue of compensation at the upcoming meeting too, sources said.