The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague has upheld its earlier ruling supporting the continued validity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), declaring that India cannot unilaterally suspend the decades-old agreement between the two countries.
The tribunal reaffirmed that the treaty remains legally binding and that neither India nor Pakistan can withdraw from or suspend it without mutual consent.
The ruling relates to long-standing disputes over Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers of the Indus basin, including the Ratle and Kishenganga projects.
Pakistan has consistently argued that India’s run-of-river developments could restrict downstream water flows and negatively affect agriculture and livelihoods dependent on the river system.
In a previous award issued last year, the tribunal stated that India must ensure the waters of the western rivers remain available for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use,” reinforcing Pakistan’s interpretation of the treaty’s allocation provisions.
Pakistan welcomed the PCA’s Supplemental Award on Maximum Pondage issued on May 15, 2026, saying it validated Islamabad’s position that the treaty imposes substantive limits on India’s water-control capabilities during the planning and design stages of such projects.
