Pakistan has urged India to resume the Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi put in abeyance in May following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Islamabad welcomed a Court of Arbitration ruling that upholds its right to unrestricted use of the Western Rivers and restricts India’s hydropower projects strictly to the treaty’s provisions. The verdict comes amid rising tensions and India’s boycott of the arbitration process.
In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan is committed to the full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty and also expects India to immediately resume the normal functioning of the treaty.
A day after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India announced a series of punitive actions against Pakistan, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan welcomed the Court of Arbitration’s August 8 interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
It noted that India has never accepted the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s proceedings, which began after Pakistan objected to certain design features of two Indian projects under the treaty.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the award outlines design criteria for new run-of-river hydropower plants India plans to build on the Western Rivers — the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus.
The FO highlighted a key ruling that India must allow the waters of these rivers to flow for Pakistan’s unrestricted use, and that any exceptions for hydropower generation must strictly follow treaty provisions, rather than India’s own “ideal” or “best practices” standards.