MEA says Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance

Ministry of external affairs on Monday categorically rejected a ruling by World Bank-constituted Court of Arbitration on Indus Water Treaty, terming it an "illegally constituted" organisation. In a statement, MEA said that New Delhi's decision to put the water treaty with Pakistan in abeyance "will remain in force."

"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 ministry said.

"India has never recognised the existence in law of this illegally-constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration, and has consistently maintained that the very establishment of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Accordingly, India has never appeared before this body and has refused to take any cognisance of its earlier pronouncements," it added.

The ministry also said that the 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," MEA said.

This comes hours after the Court of Arbitration said that the grounds on which India decided to put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance did not “justify suspension or termination.”

“Accordingly, the Indus Waters Treaty remains fully in force, and India must observe its obligations under the Treaty,” the court said New Delhi put the agreement in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year. Since then, Pakistani leaders have repeatedly called water their “red line” and threatened India over the move, describing it as an “act of war.”