🔴 By | Sonal Sharma
New Delhi: India has categorically rejected the latest ruling by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration on the Indus Waters Treaty, asserting that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over India’s sovereign decisions. The Ministry of External Affairs said the so-called Court of Arbitration was “illegally constituted” and that its pronouncements have no bearing on India’s position.
🟡 Court Says Treaty Remains in Force
The Court of Arbitration, constituted under the World Bank framework, ruled that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty remains fully in force and said India had no justification for placing the agreement in abeyance. The ruling also directed India to limit certain construction activities linked to hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir pending assessment by a neutral expert.
🟡 India Challenges Tribunal’s Authority
New Delhi, however, has refused to accept the ruling. The MEA reiterated that India does not recognise the authority of the Court of Arbitration and said the tribunal cannot pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions or ongoing projects. India has maintained that the treaty was placed in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack and amid a serious deterioration in bilateral relations with Pakistan.
🟡 Water Treaty Becomes Fresh India-Pakistan Flashpoint
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, has survived decades of conflict between India and Pakistan and governs the sharing of waters from the Indus river system. The latest legal confrontation has added another major layer to already strained bilateral relations, with Pakistan insisting that India must honour the treaty while New Delhi argues that the arbitration process itself lacks legitimacy.
🟡 Hydro Projects at the Centre of Dispute
The latest ruling is particularly significant for hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Ratle project. The arbitration court has indicated that a neutral expert appointed through the World Bank process will assess aspects of the projects, with a decision expected by July 2027. India, meanwhile, has made clear that it does not accept the court’s jurisdiction and that the ruling will not affect its sovereign decisions.
