'Null And Void': India Rejects Indus Waters Arbitration Ruling, Reiterates Treaty Remains In Abeyance

Last Updated:May 16, 2026, 19:21 IST

The MEA strongly dismissed the ruling, calling the arbitration body itself invalid.

India categorically rejected the latest ruling issued by what it described as an “illegally constituted" Court of Arbitration (CoA) on matters related to the Indus Waters Treaty, asserting that any decision passed by the body is “null and void".

In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the so-called Court of Arbitration had issued an “award" on May 15 relating to maximum pondage, as a supplement to earlier interpretations concerning the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

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India Rejects ‘So-Called Award’

The MEA strongly dismissed the ruling, calling the arbitration body itself invalid.

“The illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration (CoA) has, on 15 May 2026, issued what it termed an award concerning maximum pondage supplemental to the award on issues of general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty," the statement said.

India reiterated that it does not recognise the legitimacy of the arbitration panel and has consistently rejected all previous pronouncements issued by it.

“India categorically rejects the present so-called award, just as it has firmly rejected all prior pronouncements of the illegally constituted CoA," the MEA added.

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‘No Legal Validity’, Says New Delhi

Reasserting its position, India said it has never recognised the establishment of the arbitration mechanism in question and maintained that any proceedings or decisions arising from it hold no legal standing.

“India has never recognised the establishment of this so-called CoA. Any proceeding, award, or decision issued by it is null and void," the statement said.

The government also reiterated that its earlier decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance continues to remain in force. The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered in 1960, governs the sharing of waters of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan.

News india 'Null And Void': India Rejects Indus Waters Arbitration Ruling, Reiterates Treaty Remains In Abeyance

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