Water victory

What began as a supplemental request has now crystallised into a full-fledged award — a binding, enforceable judgment that firmly upholds Pakistan's position under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The August 8 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is a landmark moment, not merely for Pakistan's water security but also for the principle that international agreements cannot be set aside on a whim. India must allow the waters of the Western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to flow for Pakistan's unrestricted use, in line with the treaty's provisions.

Since 2016, Pakistan has objected to India's designs for projects like Kishanganga and Ratle, arguing that excessive pondage and unrestricted spillway gates risk violating the treaty, which protect Pakistan's "unrestricted use" of Western rivers. The PCA's ruling effectively aligns with this interpretation, limiting India's operational flexibility. Equally significant is the court's rejection of India's April 2025 declaration that it would hold the IWT "in abeyance."

The award makes clear that unilateral suspension is not permissible under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. It instead affirms that the treaty's dispute resolution system is hierarchical but interconnected: while a Neutral Expert may decide certain technical issues, a Court of Arbitration can interpret treaty provisions, and both outcomes are equally final and binding. This ruling is the result of Islamabad's persistence since 2016 in seeking arbitration despite considerable diplomatic headwinds.

But the real test begins now. Implementation has long been the Achilles' heel of international rulings. Pakistan must invest in technical capacity for water monitoring and maintain diplomatic pressure to ensure compliance. This award is a significant win — but its true worth will be measured by whether its promises flow, uninterrupted, from the rivers to the fields.