India has dismissed a decision from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that found the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty remains fully binding and that India lacked justification for suspending the agreement. Indian officials stated that the country does not recognize the tribunal’s authority and will not be bound by its rulings.
India suspended the treaty in April last year following an attack in Kashmir that resulted in 26 deaths, with Indian officials identifying two of three assailants as Pakistani nationals. Pakistan has denied involvement in the incident. The suspension marks a significant escalation in the long-standing dispute over Kashmir and represents a major challenge to a water-sharing framework that has survived three wars between the nations.
The international tribunal ordered India to restrict construction activities at the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in Kashmir, including limitations on dam wall and power intake structure work above certain levels. These constraints are to remain in effect until 90 days after a World Bank-appointed neutral expert issues a decision, anticipated by July 2027. The tribunal’s decision concluded that India had no valid grounds for ending or suspending the treaty.
Pakistan has welcomed the tribunal’s interim measures and indicated it is evaluating the ruling to determine how best to pursue renewed engagement under the treaty’s legal framework. Islamabad initiated legal proceedings after India commenced work to increase reservoir capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Kashmir region, viewing the expansion as a violation of the water-sharing agreement.
The 1960 treaty covers shared river systems that supply approximately 80 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural water needs, making the dispute a matter of significant economic importance to the country.
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