Special Correspondent: 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 tribunal reaffirmed that the treaty remained in force, rejecting arguments that either party may withdraw or suspend it without mutual consent. It said the legal framework governing the sharing of the Indus river system continued to bind both India and Pakistan.
The ruling related to long-running disputes between the two countries over hydroelectric developments on the western rivers of the Indus system. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns that Indian run-of-river projects could reduce downstream flows and harm agricultural output. In a prior award issued last year, the tribunal directed that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use,” reinforcing Pakistan’s interpretation of the treaty’s water allocation provisions.
Later, the statement issued by the government said that Pakistan expressed utmost satisfaction with the Court of Arbitration’s Supplemental Award Concerning Maximum Pondage, handed down on May 15, 2026, in the IWT proceedings arising from the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project design disputes.
“The Award affirms Pakistan’s central position that the Treaty places substantive limits on India’s water-control capability on the Western Rivers. These limits are not formalities. They apply at the planning and design stage and cannot be satisfied merely by a later assurance of operational restraint,” the statement said.
It further stated that pondage for a run-of-river plant must be justified by actual project needs, expected operations, site hydrology, hydraulic conditions, power-system requirements, and the information and explanations required under the Treaty.
The statement said the award also strengthened Pakistan’s review rights, adding that India must provide Pakistan with sufficient information and explanations to assess Treaty compliance.
Responding to the ruling, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson RandhirJaiswal dismissed the proceedings. He said all proceedings by ‘illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration’ awards, and decisions were “null and void,” and maintained that India’s position on holding the treaty in abeyance remains unchanged.
