India rejects Indus Waters Arbitration ruling, calls tribunal 'illegally constituted'

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India does not recognise the legitimacy of the tribunal and has “firmly rejected all prior pronouncements” made by it.

He reiterated that any proceedings or awards issued by the body hold no legal validity.

India reaffirms suspension of Indus Waters Treaty obligations

The dispute stems from the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 between India and Pakistan, which governs the sharing of river waters from the Indus basin.

India maintained that it has placed the treaty in abeyance, following last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, until Pakistan ends support for cross-border terrorism.

Officials said that once the treaty is in abeyance, India is not bound to comply with its obligations or accept jurisdiction of any external arbitration mechanism linked to it.

Long-running dispute over hydropower projects intensifies

India has repeatedly objected to arbitration proceedings related to hydroelectric projects such as Kishenganga and Ratle in Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that the so-called tribunal has no legal standing.

New Delhi has also accused Pakistan of misusing international forums through “fabricated arbitration mechanisms,” calling the proceedings politically motivated and legally unsustainable.

The latest rejection marks another escalation in the long-running water-sharing dispute between the two neighbours.