'No Jurisdiction': India Rejects Hague Court's Indus Waters Treaty Ruling - NDTV

**India Rejects Arbitration Ruling on Indus Waters Treaty**

New Delhi has officially rejected a recent award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague that sought to reinterpret provisions of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The Indian Ministry of External Affairs released a statement describing the award as “illegally constituted” and asserting that the tribunal lacks jurisdiction over a bilateral agreement that was originally brokered by the World Bank and signed between India and Pakistan. The ministry argued that any modification of water‑sharing arrangements must be negotiated directly between the two nations, not imposed by an external judicial body.

The PCA’s decision, announced earlier this week, stemmed from a dispute over the allocation of waters from the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, which Pakistan claims have been curtailed by India’s recent dam projects. While the tribunal interpreted the treaty’s “non‑use” clause as granting Pakistan a right to additional water, Indian officials contended that the ruling contradicts the treaty’s text and the long‑standing practice of water management between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has not commented directly, but senior officials warned that India will continue to exercise its sovereign rights over its own river basins in accordance with the original treaty.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry responded with a strongly worded protest, stating that the Indian rejection “undermines the spirit of cooperation” that the IWT was designed to foster. Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar warned of “profound consequences” should India persist in limiting Pakistan’s share, hinting at possible diplomatic and economic retaliation. The dispute comes at a time of heightened water scarcity in South Asia, prompting regional experts to call for renewed dialogue to avoid escalation and to ensure the treaty’s resilience amid changing climate patterns.