Pakistan raised objections to the designs of Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai hydropower plants in Jammu and Kashmir and sought more information on the projects in Ladakh sanctioned after the abrogation of Article 370.

On its part, India justified its stand on the designs. The Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project (1,000 MW) is proposed on the Marusudar river, a tributary of the Chenab river, in Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Lower Kalnai project is proposed in Kishtwar and Doda districts. The two sides also discussed a host of other issues under the –1---during the annual Permanent Indus Commission meeting.

The two-day meeting which started on Tuesday is taking place after a gap of over two years. The last meeting took place in Lahore in August 2018. The Indian delegation was led by P K Saxena, India's Indus Commissioner, and his team from the Central Water Commission, the Central Electricity Authority and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.

The Pakistani delegation was led by its Indus Commissioner Syed Muhammad Meher Ali Shah. The delegation arrived here on Monday evening. This year's meeting is the first between the two commissioners after the August 2019 nullification of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting also assumes significance as this is the first important engagement between India and Pakistan after militaries of the two countries had announced last month that they would strictly observe a ceasefire along the Line of Control and other sectors. In 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was also bifurcated into union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

India has since cleared several hydropower projects for the region. Of these, Durbuk Shyok (19 MW), Shankoo (18.5 MW), Nimu Chilling (24 MW), Rongdo (12 MW), Ratan Nag (10.5 MW) are in Leh; and Mangdum Sangra (19 MW), Kargil Hunderman (25 MW) and Tamasha (12 MW) are Kargil. Both Leh and Kargil fall in Ladakh.

Pakistan has sought information on these projects, sources added. The –1--warrants the two commissioners to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

However, last year's meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi in March was cancelled, a first since the treaty came into being, in view of the corona virus pandemic.

In July 2020, India had proposed to Pakistan that the meeting for discussing pending issues pertaining to -1--be held virtually in the wake of the corona virus pandemic, but Pakistan insisted on holding talks at the Attari border check post. However, in response, India said it is not conducive to hold the meeting at the Attari Joint Check Post due to the pandemic.