India rejects Hague court order to restore Indus waters pact with Pakistan

India has rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordering it to uphold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, saying the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the matter. India suspended the treaty in April last year after identifying two of three assailants as Pakistani in an attack that killed 26 people at a Kashmir tourist destination. Pakistan denied any involvement. The standoff places the decades-long conflict over Kashmir as the primary trigger behind the collapse of the historic water pact, which feeds 80 percent of Pakistan's agricultural land. The tribunal ruled on Monday that the pact remains fully binding and that India had no justification for ending or suspending it. It ordered India to limit construction on the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in Kashmir, prohibiting work on the dam wall and power intake structure above certain levels until 90 days after a World Bank-appointed neutral expert delivers a decision, expected by July 2027. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said India does not recognize the court and 'categorically' rejected the verdict, stating the court has no jurisdiction over India's sovereign decisions. Pakistan welcomed the tribunal's interim measures and said it is considering the details to find a pathway back to engagement under the treaty's binding legal obligations.