India and Pakistan remain locked in a sharp dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty, with Islamabad urging constructive engagement while New Delhi insists its suspension of the agreement stands, Economic Times reported.

The Hague-based Court of Arbitration has ruled the treaty binding, but India rejects its jurisdiction, intensifying the diplomatic standoff.

Pakistan has urged India to engage constructively within the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty. This call came days after New Delhi rejected an award by the Court of Arbitration in The Hague and reiterated that its decision to hold the treaty in abeyance remains in force.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated that Islamabad remained committed to implementing the treaty in letter and spirit. He emphasised that Pakistan would continue to urge India to adopt the same approach.

Andrabi highlighted that the Court of Arbitration had reaffirmed that the treaty remained fully enforced and binding. He added that Pakistan would take all possible measures to ensure the court’s decision was implemented fully.

Pakistan insisted that India should reciprocate by upholding the treaty in its entirety, including all legal documented provisions. Andrabi’s comments underscored Islamabad’s determination to press for adherence to the treaty despite India’s rejection of the arbitration award.

India, however, categorically rejected the tribunal’s jurisdiction. The Ministry of External Affairs declared that India does not recognise the existence in law of the Court of Arbitration and has not participated in its proceedings. The ministry stressed that the so‑called court has no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions.

India has maintained that the court’s latest award, as well as any future pronouncements, will have no effect on its actions concerning projects being undertaken. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force.

The dispute intensified after India placed the treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year, which killed 26 civilians. India argued that the suspension was a sovereign response to persistent cross‑border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

Pakistan had approached the Court of Arbitration in The Hague in March this year, seeking a determination on the status of the treaty. This move effectively challenged India’s decision to suspend the agreement. Pakistan welcomed the court’s order and pledged to take steps to ensure its implementation.

India, in contrast, rejected the court’s jurisdiction and insisted that its pronouncements cannot affect India’s sovereign actions. The Ministry of External Affairs underscored that India’s national security decisions remain beyond the reach of external arbitration.

The latest statements from Islamabad and New Delhi underline the sharply divergent positions of the two countries. Pakistan is calling for renewed engagement within the treaty framework, while India continues to maintain that its decision to keep the treaty in abeyance remains firmly in place.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, has historically been regarded as resilient despite wars and tensions. Yet the current dispute reflects the deepening mistrust between the two neighbours. Pakistan views the treaty as a vital safeguard for its water security, while India insists that sovereignty and national security override external arbitration.

The issue also featured prominently at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for decisive action against countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy and stressed the need to dismantle terrorist networks.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, described water as the region’s lifeline and warned that it should never be used as a weapon.

The arbitration panel also imposed interim restrictions on India’s Ratle hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir, prohibiting certain construction activities until a World Bank‑appointed neutral expert delivers a final ruling expected in July 2027. Pakistan hailed this as a significant legal victory, though India dismissed it as irrelevant to its sovereign decisions.

Agencies