India has categorically rejected the "supplemental award" issued by what it terms an "illegal Court of Arbitration" concerning the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the award as a "charade at Pakistan's behest," asserting that the arbitral body was constituted in brazen violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 and, therefore, lacks any legal standing or jurisdiction over India's actions regarding these projects.

According to the MEA, India has never recognised the existence in law of this Court of Arbitration, maintaining that its constitution itself represents a serious breach of the IWT. Consequently, any proceedings before this forum and any awards or decisions it issues are deemed "illegal and per se void" by India.

The government emphasised that the Kishenganga and Ratle projects, located on the Jhelum and Chenab rivers respectively, are being constructed in accordance with the treaty's provisions, which allow for run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects on these western rivers.

The dispute escalated after Pakistan objected to the design and construction of these projects, claiming they would adversely affect water flows into its territory and violate the IWT. While Pakistan initially sought a neutral expert's opinion, it later pushed for adjudication through a Court of Arbitration. India, in contrast, continued to seek resolution through a neutral expert, as stipulated by the treaty, and has actively participated in such proceedings.

Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, India announced it was placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, stating that it would not fulfill its obligations under the treaty until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably ceased its support for cross-border terrorism. The MEA reiterated that, during this period of abeyance, no Court of Arbitration—especially one it deems illegally constituted—has the authority to examine or rule on India's sovereign actions.

India's statement also accused Pakistan of using the arbitration process as a means to deflect attention from its alleged role as a global epicentre of terrorism and to manipulate international forums through fabricated mechanisms. The MEA reaffirmed that it rejects not only the latest supplemental award but also all prior pronouncements by this arbitral body, underscoring India's consistent position that the Court of Arbitration has no legitimacy or jurisdiction in this matter.

Based On ANI Report