India has rejected a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordering it to uphold the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, saying the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the matter.

India suspended the treaty in April last year after identifying two of three assailants as Pakistani in an attack that killed 26 people at a Kashmir tourist destination. Pakistan denied any involvement in the attack.

The standoff places the decades-long conflict over Kashmir as the primary trigger behind the collapse of the historic water pact, pushing a framework that had endured three wars past its breaking point. Under the 1960 agreement, these shared river systems feed 80 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural land.

India’s rejection follows the international court’s ruling on Monday that the pact remains fully binding and that India had no justification for ending or suspending it.

The tribunal ordered India to limit construction on the Ratle Hydro-Electric Plant in Kashmir, prohibiting work on the dam wall and power intake structure above certain levels. These restrictions will remain in place until 90 days after a World Bank-appointed neutral expert delivers a decision, expected by July 2027.

@Protestors carry flags and banners during a demonstration against the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, in Karachi, Pakistan [File: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]