India rejects Hague tribunal’s new Indus Waters award as 'illegal', calls it ‘grave violation’ of treaty

India on Monday (Aug 31) rejected an award by the Court of Arbitration linked to the Indus Waters Treaty, calling the body “illegally constituted” and saying its decision to keep the 1960 pact with Pakistan in abeyance remains in force. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Court of Arbitration was constituted by the World Bank in “patent breach” of the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty. India, it said, has never recognised the legal existence of the court.

“India has consistently maintained that the very establishment of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” the MEA said. It added that India has neither appeared before the body nor taken cognisance of its earlier pronouncements.

The ministry said the Court of Arbitration had “no jurisdiction whatsoever” to rule on India’s sovereign decisions. “Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India’s actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India,” the MEA said, adding that India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance “remains in force”.

India suspended the treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack last year, which killed 26 innocent people. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan for supporting terrorism, a charge Islamabad has denied.