New Delhi, May 16, 2026 — India has formally rejected the latest award issued on May 15 by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration (CoA) under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, saying it does not recognise the tribunal and will not accept its rulings. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India’s decision to keep the treaty in abeyance remains in force.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the CoA’s recent award related to “maximum pondage” and followed an earlier interpretation ruling. India, he added, has consistently refused to recognise the tribunal’s establishment and considers any proceedings, awards or decisions by it null and void.
The statement comes against the backdrop of strained ties with Pakistan after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi has made the treaty’s suspension contingent on Pakistan taking credible, irreversible steps to end support for cross-border terrorism. Jaiswal has reiterated that dialogue cannot proceed while Pakistan is perceived to sponsor terror.
Background: Brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty divides use of the Indus river system between the two countries. Pakistan has primary rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab), receiving roughly 80 percent of the system’s flow, while India controls the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) and retains limited non-consumptive uses on western rivers for irrigation and power generation.
India’s rejection of the CoA award signals that the diplomatic and legal standoff over water-sharing will continue until political conditions between the two countries change.
