Pakistan has welcomed a Supplemental Award issued by the Court of Arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, calling it a significant legal development in disputes under the Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India.
The ruling relates to disagreements over the design and operational parameters of India’s Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project, specifically concerning pondage limits and water storage capacity on western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 treaty.
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According to Pakistani officials, the award supports Islamabad’s long-held position that India’s hydropower projects on the western rivers must comply with strict treaty conditions and cannot exceed operationally justified storage limits.
The Government of Pakistan notes with utmost satisfaction the Court of Arbitration’s Supplemental Award Concerning Maximum Pondage, handed down on 15 May 2026, in the Indus Waters Treaty proceedings arising from the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and the Kishenganga Hydroelectric…
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 17, 2026
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The ruling reaffirmed that maximum pondage for run-of-river hydroelectric plants must be based on realistic project needs, hydrological data, power requirements and treaty obligations rather than broad or inflated assumptions.
Pakistan said the decision strengthens its rights to seek detailed technical information from India to assess treaty compliance and project design specifications.
The development comes amid heightened tensions following India’s earlier decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in “abeyance” after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, a move Pakistan has strongly criticised as inconsistent with treaty provisions.
Officials described the ruling as a reaffirmation of international legal processes and treaty-based dispute resolution mechanisms.
Pakistan stated it remains committed to the Indus Waters Treaty and will continue pursuing lawful and diplomatic avenues to safeguard its water rights and ensure that projects on the Indus River, Jhelum River and Chenab River remain within treaty limits.
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The award builds on an earlier General Issues Award issued in August 2025, which also addressed technical standards for installed capacity and operational assumptions.
Legal analysts have described the latest ruling as an important procedural win for Pakistan in its ongoing treaty disputes with India over shared river resources and hydroelectric development.