Amid reports of back-channel talks to break the stalemate in the bilateral relationship, India and Pakistan concluded a two-day meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) comprising Indus Commissioners of the two countries in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The Indian delegation at the 118th meeting of the PIC was led by A K Pal, the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters, while the visiting Pakistani delegation was headed by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters.
During the meeting, the annual report of the PIC for the year ending 31 March 2022 was finalised and signed, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The meeting was held in a cordial manner. The commission appreciated the commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Indus Water Treaty. It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in Pakistan on mutually convenient dates.
The meeting came in the midst of reports in the Indian and the Pakistani media that the two countries were talking to each other, albeit quietly, even before Shehbaz Sharif took charge as Pakistan Prime Minister in mid-April.