India on Friday slammed the ruling on the the Kishenganga and Ratle dams in Jammu and Kashmir a ‘charade at Pakistan’s behest’ and said the Court of Arbitration that issued the verdict was 'illegal'.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that it never recognised the existence of this so-called Court of Arbitration. It said the court is a "brazen violation" of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960.
“Today, the illegal Court of Arbitration, purportedly constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, albeit in brazen violation of it, has issued what it characterises as a ‘supplemental award’ on its competence concerning the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” read the statement by the ministry.
The MEA pointed out that India has alway maintained that the formation of "this so-called arbitral body is in itself a serious breach of the Indus Waters Treaty." Hence, it said any verdict passed by this court is also illegal.
Holding Pakistan responsible for India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack, said India will not reverse its decision until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism".
The ministry called the court's supplemental award a "charade at Pakistan's behest", India said the neighbouring country is desperately trying to "escape accountability for its role as the global epicentre of terrorism".
Brokered by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty was signed by Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960. India honoured its commitment to the treaty even during the wars of 1965, 1971 and 1999. However, the Pahalgam terror attack proved that Pakistan has no plans to crack down on cross-border terrorism.