India Rejects Court of Arbitration Order on Indus Waters Treaty Citing Jurisdiction

Gist India has categorically rejected a ruling by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration CoA , which declared India's decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty IWT in abeyance as impermissible under international law. The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the CoA as an "illegally constituted" body lacking jurisdiction over India's sovereign decisions, maintaining that the treaty's suspension remains in force. This development hardens India's diplomatic stance, explicitly linking the continuation of the historic water-sharing agreement to Pakistan ceasing its support for cross-border terrorism. Background The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 , negotiated with the assistance of the World Bank , governs the sharing of the Indus river system's waters between India and Pakistan. Under the treaty's provisions, the waters of the Western Rivers Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab are largely allocated to Pakistan, though India is permitted limited usage, including the design and operation of run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects. The treaty includes a graded dispute resolution mechanism, but India maintains that the current Court of Arbitration was unilaterally constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of these agreed-upon terms. Prior to…