India dismisses the proceedings and says its position on keeping the treaty in abeyance remains unchanged
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague upheld its earlier award supporting the continued validity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), ruling that India cannot unilaterally suspend the agreement.
The court reaffirmed that the treaty remained in force, rejecting arguments that either party can withdraw or suspend it without mutual consent. He said the legal framework governing the sharing of the Indus River system continues to bind both India and Pakistan.
The ruling related to long-standing disputes between the two countries over hydroelectric developments on the western rivers of the Indus system. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concern that India’s run-of-the-river projects could reduce downstream flows and harm agricultural production.
In a previous award issued last year, the court ordered that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for the “unrestricted use” of Pakistan, strengthening Pakistan’s interpretation of the treaty’s water allocation provisions.
Responding to the ruling, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the proceedings. He said all proceedings of the awards and decisions of the ‘illegally constituted so-called Arbitration Court’ were “null and void”, and maintained that India’s position on keeping the treaty in abeyance remains unchanged.
In August last year, the PCA ruled in favor of Pakistan on issues of general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying India would let the waters of western rivers flow for Pakistan’s unrestricted use.
The Hague-based PCA issued a binding award on the interpretation of the IWT on August 8, 2025, in a case brought by Pakistan in 2016. The court says that awards by an arbitration tribunal and decisions by a neutral expert are final and binding on both parties.
The PCA has also ruled that the exemptions specified for generation from hydropower plants must strictly conform to the requirements set out in the IWT, rather than what India might consider an “ideal” or “best practice” approach.
Political and diplomatic experts on Sunday strongly condemned the Indian government’s rejection of the ICA decision on the IWT, calling it a grave violation of international law and justice.
Former ambassador Manzoorul Haq, while criticizing the statement issued by the Indian government spokesperson rejecting the authority of the international court, said it reflected the fascist Modi government’s contempt for international legal institutions.
He said the ICA, based in The Hague, issued landmark rulings on the maritime transport of illegal goods that were binding on member states.
talking to APPLICATIONHe said India had already acted against UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and was now ignoring the ICA’s landmark ruling on the IWT, exposing New Delhi’s disregard for international organizations and engagement.
Manzoor said India had neither accepted the establishment of the arbitration tribunal nor recognized its rulings and awards, undermining international commitments, the rule of law and the treaty guarantee by the World Bank.
He said India’s repeated violations of the IWT threatened the sanctity of international treaties and inter-state relations, adding that the RSS-backed Modi government should be held accountable for its illegal actions.
According to him, India’s decision to suspend the treaty would jeopardize peace in the subcontinent. He warned that any conflict between two nuclear powers over water resources could have dangerous consequences far beyond the region.
