New Delhi, Augsut 31: India on Monday rejected the Court of Arbitration’s award setting aside its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, saying it had never recognised the existence of the “illegally constituted” court in The Hague. “India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement rejecting the Court of Arbitration’s award.
The ministry described the “so-called Court of Arbitration” as illegally constituted, saying it was established by the World Bank in “patent breach” of the treaty. India, it said, had categorically rejected the latest award as well as all previous pronouncements by the body.
“India has never recognised the existence in law of this illegally-constituted and so-called Court of Arbitration, and has consistently maintained that the very establishment of this alleged arbitral body constitutes a grave violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Accordingly, India has never appeared before this body and has refused to take any cognisance of its earlier pronouncements,” MEA stated.
The ministry added that India had never appeared before the body and had refused to take cognisance of its earlier pronouncements. It also said the Court of Arbitration had “no jurisdiction whatsoever to pronounce on India’s sovereign decisions” and that its pronouncements would have no effect on India’s actions concerning projects being undertaken by the country.
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