Pakistan Wins Major Legal Battle Against India at Hague Arbitration Court

Pakistan has secured a significant legal victory against India at the arbitration court in The Hague over water storage calculations related to hydroelectric projects under the Indus Waters Treaty.

The court ruled in favor of Pakistan regarding the method used by India to calculate the maximum water storage capacity for hydropower projects built on rivers covered under the treaty.

Although the decision has not yet been officially published due to the sensitivity of the case, officials in Islamabad are viewing it as a major diplomatic and legal success.

Pakistan had challenged India’s calculation methodology before the arbitration tribunal, arguing that it would allow New Delhi to create water storage capacity far beyond the limits permitted under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

According to Syed Mehr Ali Shah, the tribunal accepted Pakistan’s stance and ruled that India cannot unilaterally determine water storage capacity using what Pakistan described as “artificial” criteria.

The decision has also been welcomed in Pakistan as a positive step toward continuing the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The court heard arguments related to the design of the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project, with the ruling reportedly issued on May 15.

Pakistan maintains that the verdict confirms there are clear limits on India’s water control capacity under the treaty and that India failed to prove any justified increase in water storage requirements.

The ruling further stated that India is obligated to provide Pakistan with complete information for treaty review purposes, strengthening Pakistan’s position on scientific, hydrological, and strategic grounds.