New Delhi: India has firmly rejected a ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) concerning the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), asserting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over India’s sovereign decisions. New Delhi has reiterated that its decision to keep the treaty in abeyance remains in force.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed. In response, India suspended the 1960 water-sharing treaty and adopted a series of measures against Pakistan.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly criticised the arbitration process, stating that the so-called Court of Arbitration was constituted by the World Bank in violation of the treaty’s provisions. India said it categorically rejects the latest award as well as previous pronouncements issued by the body.
The IWT governs the sharing of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan. The latest dispute relates to Pakistan’s objections to the design of India’s Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects on the western rivers.
India has consistently opposed the arbitration proceedings, maintaining that such technical disputes should be addressed through the Neutral Expert mechanism prescribed under the treaty. New Delhi has also argued that allowing a Court of Arbitration to simultaneously consider the same issues undermines the treaty’s agreed dispute-resolution framework.
The MEA emphasised that India has never recognised the legal existence of the tribunal and has refused to participate in its proceedings. It asserted that the tribunal’s pronouncements, either now or in the future, would have no bearing on India’s sovereign actions or its ongoing hydroelectric projects.
India has also maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes verifiable and irreversible action to dismantle cross-border terror networks operating from its territory, underlining New Delhi’s position that security concerns cannot be separated from bilateral water-sharing arrangements.
