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, India's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
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.
"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," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said at a press conference in New Delhi.
Following the Court of Arbitration's ruling, Islamabad urged New Delhi to 'immediately' resume the Indus Waters Treaty.
The order had stated that India must "let flow" the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan's unrestricted use.
"India also categorically rejects Pakistan's selective and misleading references to the so-called "award"," the MEA added.
"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."
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his stance that "terror and dialogue cannot go hand in hand; water and blood cannot flow together."
He asserted, "We will not distinguish between terrorists and those who sponsor them. The very forces in Pakistan that nurture terrorism will one day lead to its downfall."
Comments