The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague upheld its earlier award supporting the continued validity of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), ruling that India cannot unilaterally suspend the agreement.
The tribunal reaffirmed that the treaty remained in force, rejecting arguments that either party may withdraw or suspend it without mutual consent. It said the legal framework governing the sharing of the Indus river system continued to bind both India and Pakistan.
In a prior award issued last year, the tribunal directed that India must allow the waters of the western rivers to flow for Pakistan’s “unrestricted use,” reinforcing Pakistan’s interpretation of the treaty’s water allocation provisions.