ISLAMABAD – In a significant diplomatic victory, Pakistan has won a key case against India at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) over the interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The Hague-based court ruled on August 8, 2025, that India must allow the unrestricted flow of waters from the Western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for Pakistan’s use, strictly adhering to the treaty’s provisions.
The dispute, initiated by Pakistan in 2016, revolved around India’s design of run-of-river hydroelectric projects on these rivers. Pakistan argued that the designs violated the IWT by potentially reducing water flows downstream. India chose not to participate in the hearings but was kept informed at every stage.
The court’s binding Award clarified that exceptions to the treaty — such as hydropower generation — must be narrowly interpreted and conform exactly to the treaty’s technical requirements, not to India’s preferred engineering “best practices.” It prohibited low-level outlets on Pakistani rivers except where absolutely necessary for sediment control, and even then, kept to minimal size and highest possible placement.
On pondage and freeboard, the PCA set strict limits, ruling that maximum pondage could be no more than twice the amount calculated from the lowest seven-day water flow in history. Freeboard, it said, should only be as high as needed for dam safety according to global standards.
Former Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah called the decision “a great success” for Pakistan, noting it reaffirmed that India cannot suspend the IWT or reduce water flows by building dams. The court will decide later on the specific cases of the Kishanganga and Ratle projects after hearing both sides.
Legal expert and former law minister Ahmer Bilal Soofi said the ruling boosts Pakistan’s position globally, making it harder for India to justify unilateral actions. Analysts say the award strengthens Pakistan’s case in future water disputes and underscores the binding nature of the IWT despite India’s attempt to hold it in abeyance earlier this year.
