International court orders India to honour Pakistan water treaty

The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a significant ruling on Monday, directing India to uphold its obligations under a longstanding water-sharing treaty with Pakistan that New Delhi had suspended amid escalating bilateral tensions.

The court also ordered India to restrict ongoing work on a hydroelectric plant being developed in the Kashmir region, citing concerns over the project's scope and potential impact on water resources shared between the two nations.

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, governs the allocation of waters from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. India's suspension of the agreement marked a major deterioration in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours, though the court's ruling attempts to preserve the framework that has largely governed water sharing despite decades of political conflict.

The decision underscores international legal pressure on both nations to maintain the treaty, which remains one of the world's most successful transboundary water-sharing agreements. Experts note that the ruling could influence how India proceeds with its broader infrastructure development plans in the disputed Kashmir region while maintaining its legal commitments to Pakistan.