India Rejects Indus Waters Arbitration Award
India has rejected a new arbitration award concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, calling the tribunal “illegally constituted” and asserting that it has no jurisdiction over New Delhi’s sovereign decisions. The government maintained that its decision to keep the 1960 water-sharing treaty with Pakistan in abeyance remains unchanged.
India Rejects Indus Waters Treaty Arbitration Award
The Ministry of External Affairs said India has never recognised the legal validity of the Court of Arbitration hearing Pakistan’s case and therefore rejects its latest award as well as its previous rulings.
The tribunal ruled that India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance was not permitted under the agreement or applicable international law. It maintained that the Indus Waters Treaty remains legally in force.
India disputes that conclusion and argues that the tribunal itself was constituted in violation of the treaty’s dispute-resolution provisions.
Ratle Hydropower Project Faces Interim Order
The arbitration panel also issued interim measures concerning India’s Ratle Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir.
It sought restrictions on certain construction activities while a separate neutral expert examines technical disputes surrounding the project. India rejected the tribunal’s authority to impose such restrictions and said its pronouncements would have no bearing on Indian actions.
India Links Treaty Status to Cross-Border Terrorism
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism. Pakistan denies supporting terrorism and has challenged India’s position through international mechanisms.
The latest award further deepens the legal and diplomatic dispute over one of the world’s longest-standing cross-border water agreements.
