The 118th meeting was held in New Delhi. These meetings are crucial for discussing pending technical issues and for the exchange of flood data, which is vital for disaster management in Pakistan's plains. The continued occurrence of these meetings, even when diplomatic ties are downgraded, underscores the critical importance of water management for both states.

Unlike other bilateral issues like Kashmir or Sir Creek, where there are no formal treaties or mechanisms, the Indus Basin is governed by the IWT. Despite the high level of political hostility, the two nations continue to exchange data and meet under the Permanent Indus Commission, making it a unique example of technical diplomacy in a conflict zone.

India issued a notice in January 2023, citing Pakistan's move to push for both a Neutral Expert and a Court of Arbitration simultaneously for the same projects. India argued that this 'parallel process' was not envisioned in the treaty and used this as a basis to demand a review of the 62-year-old agreement, a move Pakistan views with extreme caution.

Article XII(4) of the treaty specifies that the provisions of the IWT shall continue in force until a new treaty is concluded and ratified by both governments. This clause makes the treaty legally robust, as neither Pakistan nor India can legally walk away from its obligations without the consent of the other, ensuring long-term regional stability.

While India is allowed domestic, non-consumptive, and specific power and agricultural uses on the Western rivers, the IWT strictly prohibits India from building large storage reservoirs or diverting the water of the Western rivers to the Eastern river basins. This restriction is the core safeguard that ensures Pakistan's continued access to the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.

Pakistan's 'existential' concern is that if India builds multiple dams with significant storage and deep-gated spillways, it could technically gain the capacity to regulate the flow of the Western rivers. This could be used as a strategic weapon to either create artificial droughts during sowing seasons or cause devastating floods during the monsoon, thereby undermining Pakistan's water and food security.

The Salal project on the Chenab River was one of the early tests of water diplomacy. After years of technical disagreement, the two nations reached an agreement in 1978 during the visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan. India agreed to modify the dam's design to address Pakistan's concerns about water control, proving that bilateralism could work under the IWT umbrella.

Article IX is the critical legal component of the treaty that provides a tiered approach to conflict resolution. It starts with the Permanent Indus Commission, moves to a Neutral Expert for technical differences, and finally to a seven-member 'Court of Arbitration' for broader legal or interpretive disputes that cannot be settled by an expert.

The Mangla Dam on the Jhelum River was one of the two massive storage dams (alongside Tarbela) built in the 1960s and 70s as part of the settlement. These dams allowed Pakistan to store water from the Western rivers during the flood season and release it during the dry season, compensating for the water previously provided by the Ravi and Sutlej.

Pondage is the temporary storage of water to manage the daily fluctuations in power demand. The IWT allows India to have 'pondage' on Western rivers for hydroelectric projects but limits its volume to prevent India from having the ability to suddenly flood or starve Pakistan's downstream regions. Determining the 'correct' amount of pondage is often the core of technical disputes.