India rejects The Hague's Indus Waters ruling, says court has no jurisdiction

India has rejected an award on the Indus Waters Treaty issued by a World Bank-constituted Court of Arbitration, arguing the body was illegally formed and has no jurisdiction over India's sovereign decisions.

In Short

• New Delhi calls the court 'illegally constituted' and without jurisdiction
• The government says its treaty-abeyance decision remains in force
• India had put Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after Pahalgam terror attack

India on Monday rejected a ruling by the World Bank-constituted Court of Arbitration concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, calling the body “illegally constituted” and making clear that its decision to keep the water-sharing pact in abeyance “remains in force”.

The strong response from the Ministry of External Affairs came shortly after the arbitration panel ruled that the Indus Waters Treaty remained in force and asked India to limit work on a hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir.

The panel also argued that New Delhi’s rationale for putting the treaty in abeyance did not “justify suspension or termination” and called for the agreement to remain fully operational, with India continuing to observe its obligations.

India, however, rejected both the ruling and the authority of the body that issued it.

“Today, the illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has issued what it termed as an award concerning Interim Measures and Status of the Indus Waters Treaty,” the government said.

“This so-called Court was constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the Treaty and India categorically rejects its so-called award, just as it has firmly rejected all prior pronouncements by this illegally constituted body,” it added.

INDIA REJECTS PANEL’S JURISDICTION

The MEA said India has never recognised the existence in law of the Court of Arbitration and has consistently rejected its proceedings and earlier pronouncements.

“India has never recognised the existence in law of this illegally constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration, and has consistently maintained that the very establishment of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” the ministry said.

“Accordingly, India has never appeared before this body and has refused to take any cognisance of its earlier pronouncements,” it added.

India said the arbitration panel has no authority to pronounce on decisions that fall within the country’s sovereign domain, including those concerning its infrastructure projects.

“This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India's sovereign decisions,” the MEA said.

“Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India's actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India,” it added.

The government also reiterated that the creation of the arbitral body itself amounts to a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

WHY INDIA PUT THE TREATY IN ABEYANCE

India put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year, amid a sharp deterioration in relations with Pakistan.

Since then, Pakistani leaders have repeatedly called water their “red line” and warned India over the decision, with some describing the suspension of the treaty as an “act of war”.

India has maintained that its decision to keep the treaty in abeyance remains unchanged.

“India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force,” the MEA said.

The latest arbitration ruling comes amid the continuing dispute over both the treaty and the mechanism being used to address disagreements under its framework.

INDIA HAS REJECTED EARLIER RULINGS TOO

India’s rejection of Monday’s ruling is consistent with its earlier position that the Court of Arbitration was not validly constituted under the treaty and that its pronouncements have no bearing on India’s actions.

On May 16, India had rejected another ruling issued by the so-called Court of Arbitration concerning “maximum pondage”, linked to earlier proceedings on the interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Responding to media queries at the time, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India rejected the award as well as all previous pronouncements by the body.

“The illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has, on 15 May 2026, issued what it termed an award concerning maximum pondage supplemental to the award on issues of general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty,” the MEA had said.

Jaiswal had also said: “Any proceeding, award or decision issued by it is null and void.”

WHAT IS THE INDUS WATERS TREATY?

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, in Karachi, with the World Bank acting as mediator. The agreement governs the sharing of waters from the Indus river system between the two countries.

Under the treaty, the eastern rivers - Ravi, Beas and Sutlej - were allocated primarily to India, while the western rivers - Indus, Jhelum and Chenab - were allocated largely to Pakistan, with limited usage rights for both countries under specified conditions.

Disputes over hydroelectric projects and water use on the western rivers have repeatedly strained relations between India and Pakistan.

India has maintained that Pakistan has increasingly misused the treaty’s dispute-resolution mechanisms. New Delhi has also consistently rejected the legitimacy of the Court of Arbitration involved in the latest proceedings.

- Ends