India rejected Indus Waters Treaty ruling. Why it still helps Pakistan

The Permanent Court of Arbitration has ruled against India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, affirming that the treaty remains fully in force and that India is bound by it. The court also directed India to halt construction at the Ratle Hydroelectric Project until a technical dispute is resolved. India has always maintained that the Court was constituted in violation of the Treaty and refused to recognise its existence or proceedings.

The Court's orders are unlikely to bring about any material change in the ongoing situation, as India has no means of enforcing them. Pakistan, however, sees these orders as valuable tools to raise the issue at international forums and generate hysteria against India. India's strategy now involves completing projects that allow it to utilize its allocated rivers while defending its decision to put the Treaty in abeyance.