Pakistan on Monday welcomed the award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it an “endorsement” of Islamabad’s longstanding stance on the matter.
Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the August 8 ruling, published on the court’s website today, clearly outlines the design criteria for new run-of-river hydropower projects India plans to construct on the western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus.
In a key finding, the court ruled that India must “let flow” the waters of these rivers for Pakistan’s unrestricted use, with exceptions for hydropower generation strictly limited to treaty-defined provisions, rather than to India’s preferred practices.
The FO noted the award aligns with Pakistan’s interpretation of provisions related to low-level outlets, gated spillways, turbine intakes, and free-board requirements. The decision also restricts India from maximising pondage volume, a move Islamabad has long opposed.
The PCA emphasised that its rulings are final, binding, and hold controlling legal authority over future arbitration or neutral expert proceedings between the two countries.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s status as the downstream riparian, the court observed that the IWT’s core purpose is to clearly define rights and obligations of both states while promoting cooperation and effective dispute resolution.
The FO stressed the ruling’s importance given India’s recent unilateral suspension of the treaty following the April killing of 26 people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), an attack New Delhi blames on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad rejects.
Signed in 1960 under World Bank mediation, the IWT contains no provision allowing either party to suspend or terminate it unilaterally.
Calling the ruling a reaffirmation of Pakistan’s legal position, the FO said Islamabad expects India to resume normal treaty operations and comply fully with the PCA’s award.
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