Overview
- The Permanent Court of Arbitration unanimously found that India’s April 2025 declaration of treaty 'abeyance' is not permitted and that the Indus Waters Treaty continues to bind both parties.
- The tribunal imposed interim measures that bar specified concreting at the Ratle/RHEP site and require India to report construction schedules until a final technical decision is made.
- India has publicly rejected the PCA award and said it will not accept the tribunal’s rulings, signalling it may press ahead with projects unless legally compelled to stop.
- Pakistan welcomed the decision and said it will review the award to decide legal and diplomatic responses while warning that changes to flow timing and predictability threaten downstream farming and livelihoods.
- A World Bank‑appointed neutral expert is due to issue a final technical determination around July 2027 and the PCA’s interim limits will remain in place until 90 days after that ruling, shaping the next phase of legal and diplomatic steps.