India rejects Hague tribunal's ruling on Indus Waters Treaty, calls it 'illegal'

India has firmly rejected the recent ruling by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration (CoA) concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, reiterating that the tribunal was illegally constituted and lacks any jurisdiction over India's sovereign decisions.

The CoA had concluded that India's decision to hold the treaty in abeyance was not permissible under the treaty or international law, and that the treaty remains fully in force. It also directed India to observe its obligations, including those related to hydro-electric projects on the Western Rivers.

Responding to the award, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India has never recognised the legal existence of the so-called Court of Arbitration, which it says was set up by the World Bank in patent breach of the treaty's terms. India has consistently refused to appear before the body and has dismissed all its previous pronouncements as null and void.

The MEA asserted that the CoA has no jurisdiction whatsoever to comment on India's sovereign decisions, and that its rulings will have no effect on India's actions regarding its projects. India's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance remains in force.

The abeyance decision was taken in April 2025, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and was based on a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) directive. The CCS stated that the treaty would remain suspended until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.