**Permanent Court of Arbitration directs India to ensure unrestricted flowof Western rivers for Pakistan’s use**
Pakistan has welcomed the recent ruling by the Permanent Court ofArbitration (PCA) regarding the Indus Waters Treaty, which directs India to“let flow” the Western rivers for Pakistan’s unrestricted use. The verdictmarks a significant development in the long-standing water dispute betweenthe two neighboring countries.
The PCA’s decision reinforces Pakistan’s rights over the Indus, Jhelum, andChenab rivers, which form the Western rivers under the 1960 treaty. Thecourt instructed India to ensure that the natural flow of these watersremains uninterrupted, in line with the treaty’s provisions that grantPakistan exclusive usage rights.
Officials in Islamabad hailed the ruling as a “victory for justice andinternational law,” emphasizing that it safeguards Pakistan’s watersecurity and agricultural needs. “This decision validates our stance thatthe Indus Waters Treaty must be respected in both letter and spirit,” theMinistry of Foreign Affairs stated.
The dispute reached the PCA after Pakistan raised objections to certainIndian hydropower projects on the Western rivers, arguing they violated thetreaty by potentially altering water flows. The court’s directive nowlegally binds India to maintain the rivers’ flow without obstruction ordiversion.
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Experts believe the ruling could reduce tensions if implemented in goodfaith by both sides. However, they caution that the effectiveness of thedecision will depend on continued diplomatic engagement and monitoring toensure compliance.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has surviveddecades of political tensions, making it one of the most enduringwater-sharing agreements in the world. The latest ruling, Pakistan hopes,will strengthen this framework and uphold its principles in the face of newchallenges.