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India has rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordering it to maintain the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, saying the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the dispute.
The tribunal ruled on Monday that the treaty remains fully binding and that India had no legal basis to suspend or terminate it. It also ordered India to restrict construction work on the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant in Kashmir until 90 days after a World Bank-appointed neutral expert issues a decision, expected by July 2027.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said New Delhi does not recognise the tribunal and “categorically” rejected its ruling, arguing that it has no authority over India’s sovereign decisions.
India suspended the decades-old water-sharing treaty in April last year following a deadly attack at a tourist site in Kashmir that killed 26 people. New Delhi alleged that two of the three attackers were Pakistani, a claim Islamabad has denied.
The treaty, signed in 1960, regulates the use of the Indus river system, which supplies water to around 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural land and has survived three wars between the two countries.
Pakistan welcomed the tribunal’s interim measures and said it was reviewing the ruling to determine how it could help restore engagement under the treaty.
India is officially a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.