New Delhi, Aug 31 (NVI) The latest award issued by the so-called Court of Arbitration on the Indus Waters Treaty was today rejected by India, which described the tribunal as “illegally constituted”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted that the tribunal has “no jurisdiction whatsoever” to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions.
In a statement, the MEA said the tribunal had issued an award concerning interim measures and the status of the Indus Waters Treaty.
The MEA said the Court of Arbitration was constituted by the World Bank in “patent breach” of the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty.
India has consistently maintained that the establishment of the tribunal itself constitutes a grave violation of the treaty and has therefore never appeared before it or taken cognisance of its earlier pronouncements.
“Its pronouncements, now or in the future, will have no effect on India’s actions in connection with the projects being undertaken by India,” the MEA said.
India also made clear that its decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains unchanged.
“The so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions,” the ministry said, adding that the tribunal’s latest award would not affect India’s actions concerning projects being undertaken by the country.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing of waters of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.
India had placed the treaty in abeyance following the escalation in tensions with Pakistan, and New Delhi has repeatedly maintained that the decision remains in force.
The latest development comes amid continuing differences between India and Pakistan over the interpretation and implementation of the treaty, particularly concerning India’s hydropower projects on rivers covered by the agreement. (NVI)
