InternationalMonday, 31 August 2026·The Hindu - National
India rejects Hague PCA ruling on Indus Waters Treaty; MEA reiterates abeyance after April 2025 Pahalgam attack
On August 31, 2026, India rejected the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s Indus Waters Treaty ruling and said the treaty remains in abeyance.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On August 31, 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs rejected the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling at The Hague on the Indus Waters Treaty, saying India had placed the treaty in abeyance after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and that the so-called court had no jurisdiction over India’s sovereign decisions.
Key specifics
- The PCA said the Indus Waters Treaty remains “fully in force” and asked India to observe its obligations under the treaty.
- India said the arbitral body was constituted by the World Bank in “patent breach” of the treaty terms and rejected the award.
- The dispute mentioned the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant (RHEP) and interim measures on concreting the dam wall and power intake structure.
- The PCA said its measures would apply until 90 days after the Neutral Expert’s final decision, expected in July 2027.
- The court was chaired by Prof. Sean D. Murphy and included members from Belgium, the United States, Jordan and Australia.
Exam lens
Question type: International relations and treaty bodies, Indus Waters Treaty, Permanent Court of Arbitration, World Bank role, Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant. TNPSC may ask which body issued the award, what India’s stand was, and the significance of “abeyance”.