India Rejects Court Ruling on Indus Waters Treaty

The Government of India categorically rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on August 31, 2026, which declared that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty remains fully in force. The court dismissed India's unilateral suspension of the agreement, finding that national security and terrorism do not provide legal grounds to terminate the treaty.

India had placed the water-sharing pact in abeyance in April 2025 following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 people. In addition to ordering the restoration of treaty obligations, the court imposed interim measures on the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in Jammu and Kashmir. India is barred from concreting the dam wall and power intake structure above specified levels until a World Bank-appointed neutral expert issues a final design decision, expected in July 2027.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India denounced the tribunal as an illegally constituted body and asserted that it lacks jurisdiction over sovereign decisions. Indian officials maintained that the court's pronouncements will have no effect on the country's infrastructure projects.

Pakistan welcomed the verdict, with leadership describing the previous suspension of the treaty as an act of war. Pakistani officials stated the ruling vindicates the position that binding international treaties cannot be unilaterally set aside and represents a victory for Pakistan's water rights.