New Delhi: India Monday rejected the latest “award” issued by the “illegally constituted” Court of Arbitration (CoA) concerning interim measures and the status of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Rejecting the so-called “award”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the so-called “Court of Arbitration” was set up by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the treaty.
“Today, the illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has issued what it termed as an award concerning Interim Measures and Status of the Indus Waters Treaty. This so called Court was constituted by the World Bank in patent breach of the terms of the Treaty and India categorically rejects its so-called award, just as it has firmly rejected all prior pronouncements by this illegally constituted body,” the MEA said in a statement.
The MEA stressed that India has never recognised the existence in law of “the illegally-constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration” and consistently maintained that the creation of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the IWT.
“Accordingly, India has never appeared before this body and has refused to take any cognisance of its earlier pronouncements. This so-called Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions. 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 mentioned.
The MEA also stated that India’s decision to hold the IWT in abeyance remains in force.
The MEA’s statement comes after the Court of Arbitration issued an award on the “Status” of the Indus Waters Treaty and an order on interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant (RHEP). The court said that India must observe its obligations under the Treaty, including those relating to the design and operation of its hydro-electric projects on the Western Rivers.
The IWT was signed between India and Pakistan September 19, 1960, concerning the utilisation of the waters of the Indus system rivers.
After last year’s heinous Pahalgam terror attack, India exercised its rights as a sovereign nation under international law and placed IWT in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
In June, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s consistent stance on the IWT, saying that the agreement remains in abeyance until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism.
“We have suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and kept it in abeyance until Pakistan completely stops cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said while replying to a question on Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry’s statement during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.