New Delhi: India on Monday firmly rejected an award issued by the World Bank-constituted Court of Arbitration regarding interim measures and the status of the Indus Waters Treaty, declaring the tribunal illegally constituted and without jurisdiction to adjudicate on India’s sovereign matters. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that New Delhi’s decision to keep the historic water-sharing pact in abeyance remains fully in force.
In an official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that the Court of Arbitration was formed in patent breach of the terms outlined in the Indus Waters Treaty. New Delhi asserted that it has never recognized the legal existence of the arbitral body, maintaining that its very establishment constituted a grave violation of the agreement. Consequently, India has consistently boycotted the proceedings and refused to take cognizance of any pronouncements issued by the body.
The Ministry stated that the court has no jurisdiction whatsoever to rule on sovereign Indian decisions, adding that any past, present, or future pronouncements will have no bearing on infrastructure and hydroelectric projects undertaken by India in the region.
The Hague-based tribunal had issued a press release claiming to have evaluated the grounds for the suspension of the pact, ruling that the current circumstances did not justify holding the agreement in abeyance and asserting that India remains bound by its treaty obligations.
The latest development follows previous rejections by New Delhi regarding the tribunal’s competence over hydroelectric ventures such as the Kishenganga and Ratle projects in Jammu and Kashmir, after India paused the treaty’s operation in response to cross-border security concerns.
