India rejects World Bank-backed Indus Waters ruling, says court has no jurisdiction

India on Monday rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that said that the Indus Waters Treaty, which Delhi has put in abeyance, remained in force. Rejecting the ruling, India said the court was “illegally constituted” and had “no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce [decisions] on India’s sovereign decisions”.

“India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force,” the Ministry of External Affairs also said in its statement. The statement was issued shortly after the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued a ruling asking India to limit work on a hydroelectric plant in Jammu and Kashmir region and uphold the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. The Treaty has been put into abeyance by India over Pakistan’s support for terrorist activities.

The government said India has never recognised the existence in law of the so-called Court of Arbitration and has consistently rejected its proceedings and earlier pronouncements.