IWT: Hague-based PCA’s ruling, a victory for Pakistan |
ON 29 January 2026, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) upheld Pakistan’s principled stance in the Indus Waters’ Western Rivers Arbitration, reaffirming its rights under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
The ruling validated Pakistan’s position on water allocation and infrastructure development, reinforcing legal protections for its share of the western rivers. The PCA declined India’s requests for clarifications outside the award’s scope, underscoring the finality and integrity of the decision. This outcome strengthens Pakistan’s strategic leverage in water diplomacy and sets a precedent for future disputes.
Needless to say, India’s recent unilateral moves to suspend the IWT such as holding it in abeyance and bypassing dispute mechanisms, threaten regional stability and violate international law principles, including pact as pacta sunt servanda that says that the “agreements must be kept”, which is a cornerstone of international law, enshrined in Article 26 of the Vienna Convention. As per the procedural order 19 of The Hague-based Court of Permanent Arbitration (PCA), the Indus Water Treaty proceedings continue despite India’s non-participation. The PCA has accordingly ordered India to share detailed operation-level records, the poundage logbooks regarding the Baglihar and the Kishanganga hydroelectric power plants with Pakistan by Feb 9, 2026.
The Court further reaffirmed that the IWT obligations cannot be politically bottlenecked, thereby rejecting India’s unjust stance that the said Treaty was in abeyance. Thus, the PCA validates Pakistan’s position that the IWT requires strict adherence to the treaty parameters for water flow, rather........