India rejects the supplemental award on Kishenganga and Ratle projects by the so-called Court of Arbitration. MEA calls the court illegal and says India is no longer bound by the Indus Waters Treaty.
India has strongly rejected the recent decision of the so-called Court of Arbitration regarding the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects located in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a detailed statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made it clear that it does not accept the authority or legal validity of this arbitration court, which it says was wrongly formed under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.
According to the MEA,
“India has never recognised the legal validity of this Court of Arbitration,” and called its constitution “a serious breach of the Indus Waters Treaty.”
The government emphasized that India has consistently opposed the formation of this arbitration court and believes that all decisions made by it are without any legal standing.
It firmly stated,
“Any proceedings before this forum and any decision taken by it, is illegal.”
The Ministry further clarified that after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India had placed the Indus Waters Treaty “in abeyance.”
This action, as explained by the government, was taken due to Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism. In this context, the Ministry highlighted that
“India is no longer bound to perform any of its obligations under the Treaty.”
India’s position is that its sovereign decisions cannot be challenged by any external body or tribunal. The Ministry added,
“No Court of Arbitration has the authority to question India’s sovereign decision in this matter.”
The Indian government also criticised Pakistan for using international platforms to falsely represent facts and avoid responsibility for its own actions.
The MEA strongly condemned this move by Pakistan, calling it
“yet another desperate attempt by it to escape accountability for its role as the global epicenter of terrorism.”
It said that Pakistan is misusing the Indus Waters Treaty and international arbitration mechanisms to cover up its own wrongdoings, noting that
“Pakistan’s resort to this fabricated arbitration mechanism is consistent with its decades-long pattern of deception and manipulation of international forums.”
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