Hague court orders India to uphold Indus Waters Treaty, suspend work on its hydro project
Hague court orders India to uphold Indus Waters Treaty, suspend work on its hydro project.
Hague court orders India to uphold Indus Waters Treaty, suspend work on its hydro project.
Article outline
- What happened
- Why it matters
- The bottom line
Key points
- The Hague-based court issued the award on the status of the IWT and the order on "interim measures concerning the Ratle hydro-electric plant".
- After India's move, Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an "act of war", noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension.
- As India had no justification for ending or suspending the agreement, the PCA backed Pakistan's narrative, declaring that the IWT between the two countries remained fully in force.
Hague court orders India to uphold Indus Waters Treaty, suspend work on its hydro project. Reuters Published August 31, 2026 Updated August 31, 2026 04: 34pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Monday ordered India to uphold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan and suspend work on a hydro project in occupied Kashmir.
Notably, the Hague-based court issued the award on the status of the IWT and the order on "interim measures concerning the Ratle hydro-electric plant".
After New Delhi's unilateral abeyance of the accord in April last year – a move that was followed by a brief military conflict between the two sides in May 2025, water and the IWT remain a contentious matter between India and Pakistan.
After India's move, Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an "act of war", noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It afterwards argued that Delhi's action was a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Notably, the court remarked a neutral expert, appointed by the World Bank, would judge by July 2027 whether the construction of hydroelectric plants in the Himalayan region was in line with the treaty.
In short, hague court orders India to uphold Indus Waters Treaty, suspend work on is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
