Those talks came after a gap of two and a half years due to the COVID-19 crisis. Before the 2021 Delhi talks, talks between the two Indus commissioners happened in Lahore in August 2018.

The annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) will take place in Pakistan from 1st to 3rd March, with an Indian delegation led by India’s Indus Commissioner, P.K. Saxena, due to visit the country.

According to sources, the delegation is expected to leave around February 28th and return on March 4th. This will be the 117th meeting of the commission led by the commissioners from both sides.

Under the Indus water treaty of 1960, the commissioners were required to meet annually to discuss issues. The last meeting took place in Delhi from March 23rd to 24th.

Those talks came after a gap of two and a half years due to the COVID-19 crisis. Before the 2021 Delhi talks, talks between the two Indus commissioners happened in Lahore in August 2018.

The Pakistani delegation will be led by its Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Muhammad Mehr Ali Shah, who visited Delhi last year.

A number of routine matters will be discussed. Last year's meeting saw the Indian side emphasise that the designs of two Indian projects—Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) are fully compliant with the provisions of the Treaty.

Pakistan's side requested India's share of information on the design of other Indian hydropower projects being planned to be developed.

Under the Indus water treaty of 1960, the waters of 3 eastern rivers (Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi) were allocated to India for unrestricted use, while the waters of 3 western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) went to Pakistan.

Additionally, New Delhi has the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river projects on the 3 western rivers, subject to specific criteria for design.

Under the treaty, Pakistan can raise objections to the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on Western rivers. In the past, several issues have been resolved, but either side can go to neutral experts or courts.

The talks are one of the few bilateral institutions that continues to work despite no major government-to-government talks or conversation. Pilgrim movements from both sides have been seen, with Indian Sikh and Hindu pilgrims visiting holy places in Pakistan and vice versa.

Both sides continue to exchange lists of prisoners and nuclear installations on 1st January and 1st July as envisaged under the 2008 and 1988 pacts. After the 2019 removal of special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties. Before that, Indian PM Modi had made a surprise visit to Pakistan in December 2015, but that was followed by the Uri terror attack, leading to a stalemate in ties.