IN its recent press release on ‘The Indus Waters Western Rivers Arbitration (Pakistan vs India), PCA Case No. 2023-01’, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has delivered an award in favour of Pakistan. The award, issued on Aug 31, 2026, strongly vindicates Pakistan’s position, which it has consistently maintained in diplomatic forums and in the international media. It illustrates that the principles of international law firmly support Pakistan’s case. Established in 1899, The Hague-based PCA is one of the world’s oldest institutions for the peaceful resolution of international disputes. It has earned considerable international standing for the integrity of its proceedings, the quality of its decisions and the calibre of the jurists who serve on its tribunals. It shares its premises with the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Those who authored this verdict — the details of which will be made public soon — were selected under the procedure prescribed in Annexure G (Court of Arbitration) to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which requires arbitrators to be well versed in international law. Accordingly, the PCA is chaired by Prof Sean D. Murphy (US), a prominent international law scholar and practitioner. He sits alongside Prof Wouter Buytaert (Belgium), a specialist in hydrology and water resources; Prof Jeffrey P. Minear (US), an experienced legal practitioner; Judge Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh (Jordan), a former ICJ judge; and Dr Donald Blackmore (Australia), an expert in water-resource management and policy.

Pakistan had initiated proceedings, saying, “Look, the continued construction of two Indian hydropower projects violates the engineering requirements laid down in Annexes D and E........

© Dawn