Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan has welcomed the issuance of a supplemental decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague concerning the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling on India to immediately reinstate the treaty’s full implementation, which New Delhi had suspended in May.
In a statement released Monday, the Foreign Office said the supplemental ruling issued on June 27, 2025, affirmed that the court retains jurisdiction in the ongoing dispute over India’s Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.
The court’s latest move, Pakistan emphasized, reinforces its long-held stance that the treaty remains in force and cannot be unilaterally paused or suspended. “This decision vindicates Pakistan’s position that the Indus Waters Treaty is valid, active, and cannot be held in abeyance by one party,” the statement read.
Supplemental awards like the one recently announced usually come when earlier decisions leave some questions open, whether about legal authority, jurisdiction, or how a treaty should be interpreted.
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The court, in this case, reaffirmed its mandate to continue overseeing the dispute in a fair and timely manner.
“This supplemental award was prompted by India’s unilateral and unlawful decision to suspend the implementation of the Treaty,” the Foreign Office said.
Islamabad also reiterated its openness to constructive dialogue, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif previously stating that Pakistan is ready to engage with India on all pressing matters, including Kashmir, water rights, trade, and terrorism.
“We urge India to return to the framework of the Treaty and fulfil its obligations in letter and spirit,” the statement added.
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In contrast, India dismissed the court’s ruling entirely. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs claimed it does not recognize the legitimacy of the tribunal, calling its establishment a “violation” of the IWT itself.
“India does not accept the authority of this so-called Court of Arbitration,” the Indian government stated. It further accused Pakistan of politicizing the Treaty and labeled the tribunal’s ruling as a “sham proceeding.”
India asserted that its decision to suspend the treaty’s implementation was made under its sovereign rights.
Pakistan, however, has expressed hope that the final decision on the first phase of the case, heard at The Hague in July 2024, will further strengthen its legal and diplomatic position.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
