PESHAWAR
\nIndia has suffered a major diplomatic and legal setback following a historic ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the historic Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and upheld stance of Pakistan.
\nThe International Court of Arbitration, in its award on the interpretation of the treaty, ruled that India must \u201clet flow\u201d the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan\u2019s unrestricted use and can\u2019t suspend or hold the treaty in abyance unilaterally.
\nProfessor Dr. A.H.Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science Department at University of Peshawar told APP on Sunday that India has lost all grounds after landmark ruling of court of arbitration.
\nHe said that no justification was left with New Dehli after international Court of Arbitration award.a
\nHe said the court ruled that any exceptions related to hydroelectric power generation must strictly comply with the provisions of the treaty rather than India\u2019s preferred best practices approach.
\n\u201cThe ruling endorsed Pakistan\u2019s interpretation regarding low-level outlets, gated spillways, turbine intakes, and free-board requirements. It also restricted India from maximizing pondage volume in hydroelectric projects on the western rivers.\u201d
\nImportantly, the court observed that awards issued by the Court of Arbitration are final and binding on both Pakistan and India, carrying legal authority over future proceedings involving neutral experts or arbitration mechanisms under the historic treaty signed by President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1960 guaranteed by World Bank.
\nRecognizing Pakistan\u2019s status as the downstream riparian state, he said the court emphasized that the treaty\u2019s objective is to clearly define the rights and obligations of both countries while promoting cooperation and effective dispute resolution.
\nThe ruling assumes added significance after India\u2019s recent announcement to hold the treaty in abeyance and its earlier decision to boycott arbitration proceedings.
\nAnalysts described the judgment as a strong endorsement of Pakistan\u2019s longstanding legal position and termed the ruling a turning point that will reshape future regional negotiations and international perceptions regarding the water dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
\nThey argued that the key judgment exposed weaknesses in India\u2019s legal arguments and diplomatic strategy while reinforcing the importance of international law and treaty obligations in resolving sensitive disputes.
\nDr Hilali said the verdict has increased pressure on New Delhi to reconsider its illogical approach and engage constructively with Pakistan through dialogue and legal mechanisms.
\nInternational affairs experts also pointed out broader geopolitical implications of the ruling, saying it will affect India\u2019s credibility in future international forums, particularly on issues involving legal commitments and bilateral agreements.
\nHe warned that continued resistance to the court\u2019s decision could further isolate India diplomatically and attract criticism from international institutions.
\nFormer Ambassador Manzoorul Haq said the Court of Arbitration\u2019s ruling carried great signficance as it clarified that India could not unilaterally suspend the treaty besides upheld Pakistan\u2019s stance on the IWT.
\nSpeaking to APP, he said India had violated international commitments and the World Bank-backed agreement by placing the treaty in abeyance in April last year.
\n\u201cThe repeated violations of the IWT by India has threatened the sanctity of international treaties and inter-state relations,\u201d he said, adding that the fascist Modi government should be held accountable for such illegal and unilateral actions.
\nHe warned that any attempt to suspend the treaty for long could jeopardize peace in South Asia, especially given the serious implications of water disputes between two nuclear powers.
\nIWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocated the waters of the western rivers namely Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab to Pakistan, while India controls the eastern rivers Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
\nAmbassador Manzoor accused India of committing material breaches of the treaty by manipulating water flows in the Chenab River in December last year without prior notification to Pakistan, as required under the agreement.
\n\u201cThese abrupt variations in water flows are of extreme concern for Pakistan and point toward unilateral water releases by India,\u201d he said.
\nHe added that such illegal actions threaten Pakistan\u2019s agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of people.
\nThe former ambassador further described India\u2019s uncalled for actions as the weaponization of water, saying Pakistan had repeatedly raised the issue before the international community.
\nHe said that Pakistan\u2019s Indus Water Commissioner had formally sought clarification from his Indian counterpart regarding these violations.
\nPakistan, he said, expects India to refrain from unilateral actions and fulfill all treaty obligations in letter and spirit.
\nDr Adnan Khan, former chairman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, said India had lost all grounds after the historic ruling and award by the Court of Arbitration.
\nHe accused India of consistently undermining the treaty by constructing projects such as Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants in violation of treaty provisions.
\nAccording to Dr. Adnan, India had also weakened the treaty\u2019s dispute resolution mechanism by refusing to participate in arbitration and neutral expert proceedings.
\nHe warned that restricting water flows could expose millions of Pakistanis to hunger and economic hardship.
\n\u201cIWT is a binding legal instrument that has contributed significantly to peace and stability in South Asia and cannot be suspended unilaterally,\u201d he said.
\nThe South Asian neighbors have disputed hydroelectric projects on the Indus river system for decades, with Pakistan arguing that India\u2019s upstream dams could reduce downstream water flows and damage Pakistan\u2019s agriculture.
\nIn August last year, the Court of Arbitration reiterated that India must allow the unrestricted flow of western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the treaty.
\nExperts maintained that violations of the IWT threaten not only regional peace and stability but also the sanctity of international agreements and principles governing inter-state relations.
\nThey urged the international community and the World Bank to intervene and ensure that both countries adhere fully to the treaty framework while preventing unilateral actions that could escalate tensions in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR India has suffered a major diplomatic and legal setback following a historic ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the historic Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and upheld stance of Pakistan. The International Court of Arbitration, in its award on the interpretation of the treaty, ruled that India must \u201clet flow\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-548151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-peshawar"],"yoast_head":"\n