🇮🇳 India Rejects Indus Waters Tribunal, Calls Pakistan’s Arbitration Move a “Charade”
New Delhi, June 28, 2025 — In a significant diplomatic statement, India has formally dismissed the Court of Arbitration (CoA) convened under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it “illegal” and describing Pakistan’s efforts to push for arbitration as a “charade at Pakistan’s behest.” This sharp rejection has once again highlighted the growing rift between the two nuclear neighbours over the sharing of the crucial Indus river system.
🔹 Background: What is the Indus Waters Treaty?
Signed in 1960 with the World Bank as a broker, the Indus Waters Treaty is often cited as one of the world’s most successful water-sharing accords, having survived multiple wars and tensions between India and Pakistan.
Under the treaty:
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The three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — were allocated to India.
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The three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — were allocated to Pakistan, with India allowed limited non-consumptive uses (like hydropower, irrigation to a limited extent, and navigation).
Disputes are supposed to be resolved through a three-stage mechanism:
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Indus Waters Commissioners — a Permanent Indus Commission (PIC).
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Neutral Expert — for technical differences.
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Court of Arbitration — for legal interpretation or procedural disputes.
🔹 The Current Dispute
The latest flashpoint is India’s construction of hydropower projects — particularly the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower plants on the tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers in Jammu & Kashmir.
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Pakistan’s Claim: Islamabad claims these projects violate the IWT, as they allegedly restrict water flows into Pakistan, undermining its agricultural and drinking water needs.
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India’s Defence: India insists the projects comply fully with the treaty’s guidelines, including run-of-the-river design, and says Pakistan’s objections are politically motivated.
When the dispute arose, Pakistan refused to accept a Neutral Expert (NE) solution and instead approached the World Bank to set up a Court of Arbitration. India argues that having both mechanisms run in parallel is contradictory and violates the treaty.
🔹 Why Did India Reject the Court of Arbitration?
In its statement on June 27, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said:
“India considers the constitution of the so-called Court of Arbitration at Pakistan’s behest to be illegal and in contravention of the graded mechanism agreed under the IWT.”
India claims:
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It is already engaging with a Neutral Expert appointed by the World Bank to address the technical aspects.
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Running two dispute resolution mechanisms simultaneously sets a “wrong precedent” and “undermines the treaty framework.”
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Pakistan’s move is driven more by geopolitical motives than genuine technical concerns.
🔹 What Does This Mean for India-Pakistan Relations?
The standoff adds another layer of tension to an already fraught relationship. Critics say this dispute, if unresolved, could threaten the very future of the IWT — an agreement hailed for its durability even during conflict.
Strategic analysts argue that India’s tough stand signals a shift from its traditionally restrained approach, sending a message that it will not tolerate what it calls “unnecessary internationalisation” of bilateral issues.
Meanwhile, Pakistan insists it will pursue all legal avenues to “protect its water rights” under the treaty.
🔹 What Happens Next?
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The World Bank has a delicate task — balancing legal interpretations while trying not to jeopardise the treaty’s existence.
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The Court of Arbitration may continue its proceedings, but without India’s participation, its findings could have limited practical impact.
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The Neutral Expert process may still yield a technical resolution if both sides return to the table in good faith.
🔹 The Stakes
For millions of people in India and Pakistan, the Indus river system is a lifeline. Any disruption — real or perceived — risks not just water insecurity but could feed into larger regional hostilities.
Diplomats and water experts stress that even as both nations guard their rights, they must remember the treaty’s original spirit: cooperative management of shared rivers in a water-stressed region.
📝 Conclusion
The rejection of the Court of Arbitration by India reflects a deepening mistrust between New Delhi and Islamabad. Whether the Indus Waters Treaty can withstand this latest test depends on whether the two sides can return to technical, apolitical dialogue — or risk eroding the last-standing framework of cooperation in an increasingly turbulent relationship.
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