TIA NEWS /
India has formed an inter- ministerial task force to look into all the strategic aspects of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. Sources said, the task force will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra.
Other members of the team include National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Secretaries in Ministries of Finance, Environment, Power and Water Resources.
Besides, Chief Secretaries of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, the states from where the six Indus system rivers flow, will be invitees in the task force.The task force is mandated with taking all important strategic and policy decisions. It is an all-powerful body which will take decisions regarding the treaty.
The task – force has been formed nearly three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on the 56- year-old water distribution pact with Pakistan. In that meeting, it was also decided that India would utilise to the maximum water of Pakistan-controlled rivers including Jhelum.
Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960, water of six rivers – Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum – were to be shared between the two countries.