New Delhi: The Indian government has categorically rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that said the Indus Waters Treaty, which Delhi has put in abeyance, remained in force.
In a statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India said the court was “illegally constituted” and had “no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce (decisions) on India’s sovereign decisions”.
“Today, the illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has issued what it termed as an award concerning Interim Measures and Status of the Indus Waters Treaty,” MEA stated.
“This so-called Court was constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the Treaty and India categorically rejects its so-called award, just as it has firmly rejected all prior pronouncements by this illegally constituted body,” the statement continued.
“India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force.”
India’s response came shortly after the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued a ruling asking India to limit work on a hydroelectric plant in Jammu and Kashmir region, and uphold the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
The Treaty was put into abeyance by India over Pakistan’s support for terrorist activities, shortly after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April last year.
“This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions. Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India’s actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India,” New Delhi made it clear.