ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the supplementary award issued by the Court of Arbitration under the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the Indus Waters Treaty.
In a statement on Saturday, he said the court’s decision has reinforced Pakistan’s stance that India cannot unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.
“We are working upon water resources as the water is the lifeline for the people of the country, PM Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying.
The Prime Minister also appreciated the efforts of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Awan.
Pakistan had achieved a major legal and diplomatic triumph on Friday as the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague delivered an additional ruling on the longstanding Indus Waters Treaty dispute, decisively rejecting India’s attempt to unilaterally suspend the agreement.
The ruling pertains to a case filed by Pakistan under Article IX and Annexure G of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, challenging India’s construction of water storage projects on the western rivers.
In its unanimous and binding decision, the court declared that India had no legal justification to unilaterally suspend the treaty or disrupt the ongoing arbitration proceedings.
The court noted that unilateral actions taken by one party to the treaty — such as India’s announcement to “immediately suspend” the agreement on April 23, 2025 in the wake of the Pahalgam incident — cannot halt the work of the arbitration court or the appointment of a Neutral Expert.
It emphasised that there is no provision in the treaty allowing for its suspension by one party, and that dispute resolution mechanisms would remain in force regardless of unilateral declarations.
