The Court of Arbitration on Monday issued what it described as an award concerning interim measures and the status of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Responding to the ruling, the Ministry of External Affairs said India does not recognise the legitimacy of the arbitration body and has consistently refused to participate in its proceedings.
New Delhi said the body was constituted by the World Bank in violation of the provisions of the treaty and described it as an “illegally constituted body”.
India also said it has never appeared before the Court of Arbitration and has refused to take cognisance of its earlier pronouncements.
India announced that it was putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed.
New Delhi said the decision was part of a series of measures taken against Pakistan and linked it to what India describes as Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.
The 1960 treaty governs the sharing of the waters of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan and has remained a key element of bilateral relations for decades.
In its statement, the MEA said the Court of Arbitration had no authority to rule on India's sovereign decisions.
“This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions,” the ministry said.
India further maintained that any pronouncements issued by the body, either now or in the future, would have no impact on its actions relating to water projects being undertaken by the country.
New Delhi reiterated that its decision to keep the treaty in abeyance “remains in force”.
The rejection sets up another point of friction between India and Pakistan over the treaty, with New Delhi making clear that it does not intend to recognise the arbitration proceedings or alter its position based on the latest ruling.
