‘Never Recognized Existence of…’: India Rejects Hague Arbitral Tribunal Ruling on Indus Waters Treaty | Today’s news
India has categorically rejected the grant of interim measures and the status of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by the Hague Arbitration Court, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The State Department said that India has never recognized the existence of an arbitral tribunal for the IWT.
“India categorically rejects the granting of interim measures and status to the Indus Waters Treaty by the Hague Arbitral Tribunal,” the ministry said on Monday.
The ministry reiterated that India’s decision to suspend inland navigation remains in effect. “India has never recognized the existence of the Indus Water Treaty Arbitration Court,” it said.
What is the Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960 to govern the sharing of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.
Under the now-suspended treaty, Pakistan controlled the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India controlled the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
India suspended the treaty after Pakistani terrorists attacked a group of unsuspecting tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, killing 26 of them, saying “blood and water cannot flow together”.
Apart from suspending inland navigation, India also launched attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), leading to a brief concentration between the countries.
What the Hague-based court said
The remarks come after an arbitration court said “India must limit work on a hydroelectric plant in the Kashmir region and abide by a water-sharing agreement with Pakistan, which it has suspended due to tensions with the neighboring country,” Reuters reported.
The Hague-based court also said that inland navigation between the neighbors remained “in full force”, adding that “India had no justification for terminating or suspending the agreement”.
The court further added that a neutral expert appointed by the World Bank would assess by July 2027 whether the construction of hydropower plants in the Himalayan region was in accordance with the treaty.
What is Kirthai Stage II Hydroelectric Project
According to a PTI report, Chenab Valley Power Projects had in June sought diversion of about 197 hectares of forest land for the construction of the Kirthai Stage-II hydroelectric project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.
Kirthai II is part of other hydroelectric projects in the Indus basin that the Center has been trying to fast-track after suspending inland water transport.
