Arbitration court orders India to suspend work on hydro projects, uphold IWT with Pakistan
Court says IWT between two countries remains fully in force, as India has no justification for suspending agreement
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has ruled that India must limit work on a hydroelectric plant in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir and uphold the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. The PCA dismissed India's suspension of the IWT treaty last year, stating that it remained fully in force. India and Pakistan have managed the Indus River system through the IWT since 1960, but tensions between the two countries have led to its suspension.
The Hague-based court said India had no justification for ending or suspending the agreement. A neutral expert, appointed by the World Bank, will decide by July 2027 whether the construction of hydroelectric plants in the Himalayan region is in line with the treaty. Pakistan welcomed the ruling, stating that India's decision to place the IWT in "abeyance" was not permissible under the treaty or applicable international law.
India rejected the court's ruling, asserting that its 2025 decision to hold the IWT in abeyance remained in force.
Written by urgent.news from The Express Tribune - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
