ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed an international court ruling directing India to strictly follow the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in the design of hydroelectric power projects on rivers allocated to Pakistan, calling it a clear endorsement of Islamabad’s stance.
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), in a decision posted Monday, affirmed its jurisdiction over the dispute and ruled that India’s projects on the Western Rivers must conform “strictly” to the treaty’s technical specifications, rather than to ideal engineering practices.
Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman said the verdict largely upheld Pakistan’s position on the design of new hydropower projects, making it clear India “cannot construct any of these projects in violation of the court’s decision.” The Foreign Office noted that the court also reaffirmed India’s obligation to “let flow” the waters of the three rivers for Pakistan’s unrestricted use. The findings are final and binding on both countries.
The dispute arose after Pakistan, in 2023, challenged the design of Indian projects on rivers awarded to it under the 1960 treaty, fearing threats to its agriculture and hydropower lifeline.
While India’s foreign ministry has previously said it does not recognise the Court of Arbitration, there was no immediate official response to the ruling.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a stern warning to New Delhi: “If you threaten to hold our water, keep in mind — you cannot snatch even one drop from Pakistan.”
