Overview

• On August 8, the Hague-based Court of Arbitration ruled that India must “let flow” waters of the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus rivers under the treaty’s technical design limits.
• Pakistan’s Foreign Office welcomed the award and formally demanded that India immediately restore full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir issued stern warnings, including nuclear-tinged threats, against any attempt to block water flows.
• India maintains the treaty in abeyance since May, rejects the court’s jurisdiction and ties its reinstatement to Pakistan’s credible counterterrorism actions.
• New Delhi is moving ahead with major run-of-river hydropower projects, such as a 1,856 MW Chenab plant, constructed without Pakistan’s prior consent.