'Never accepted legality of Court of Arbitration': India rejects Indus Waters Treaty ruling

India on Thursday said that the international Court of Arbitration lacks any legal authority to make pronouncements on the Indus Waters Treaty between  India  and Pakistan as New Delhi has never recognised the legitimacy of the court.

A ruling by the Court of Arbitration last week sided with Pakistan, stating that India must comply with the Indus Waters Treaty when designing new hydroelectric power projects on rivers flowing westward into Pakistan.

#WATCH | Delhi | On a question by ANI regarding the award by the Court of Arbitration under the Indus Water Treaty, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements… pic.twitter.com/cx8zdrAtYN

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025

“India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India’s rights of utilisation of waters,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

India also categorically rejects Pakistan’s selective and misleading references to the so-called “award”.

“As reiterated in our press release of 27 June 2025, the Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India, taken in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack,” added Jaiswal.

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Pakistan had welcomed the ruling by the Court of Arbitration on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), claiming it validates its stance on India’s hydroelectric projects on the Western Rivers.

The court reportedly said India must ensure unrestricted water flow to Pakistan, as per treaty terms.

India, however, rejects the court’s legitimacy, citing its preference for the neutral expert mechanism. New Delhi never accepted the World Bank’s 2022 decision to activate both dispute resolution paths simultaneously, calling it legally flawed.

Pakistan urged India to resume IWT implementation, but India maintains the treaty remains in abeyance until Pakistan acts against cross-border terrorism.

With inputs from agencies