India has had face a setback as the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has ruled against its stance on water politics. The Hague-based court yesterday declared that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force and that India had no justification to hold it in abeyance. It also ordered India to suspend construction work on Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in occupied Kashmir pending further review.
The ruling vindicates Pakistan’s stance as a victim of hydro-politics, particularly since its eastern neighbour adopted a hegemonic posture by weaponising water as an instrument of conflict. The PCA had earlier ruled that it possesses the “due and legitimate authority” to adjudicate any dispute between the two nations over the IWT. This nullifies New Delhi’s claim that the forum is “devoid of lawful authority”. Monday’s dictum marks the third consecutive decision in Pakistan’s favour, following World Bank President Ajay Banga’s previous remarks characterising India’s unilateral suspension of the international treaty as legally untenable.
India, which has been acting as a rogue state against Pakistan on the premise of its asymmetric supremacy, needs to take a lesson in international law. Its actions run afoul of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Moreover, as far as civilisational ethics and interstate decency are concerned, India has demonstrated that it only wishes to see its sovereign neighbours under its “tutelage” – a high-handed mentality that triggered a four-day military duel with Pakistan in May 2025. Consequently, the PCA acted decisively, issuing its definitive Award on Treaty Status alongside a binding Order on Interim Measures. These legal directives have delivered a direct blow to New Delhi’s coercive hydro-aggression.
The superbly worded verdict from The Hague states that “India had no legal grounds under treaty law or customary international law – including claims of sovereignty, allegations of cross-border terrorism, or fundamental changes in circumstances – to unilaterally suspend or terminate the treaty”. The court firmly asserted the fundamental principle of pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept), emphasising that India cannot bypass its binding commitments. Consequently, Delhi has little choice but to abide by the verdict, having been found on the wrong side of both law and ethics. The world cannot afford to ignore India’s rogue conduct any longer; international pressure must be applied to halt its lawless hydro-politics once and for all.
