India has rejected a ruling by a World Bank-constituted arbitration panel in The Hague concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, saying the panel was created in violation of the 1960 agreement and has no jurisdiction over India.

The Embassy of India in Washington DC said India had never recognised the Court of Arbitration and had not participated in its proceedings. It added that India would not be bound by the panel’s decisions.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also questioned the legitimacy of the tribunal, maintaining that matters concerning the treaty and India’s water projects fall within the country’s sovereign authority.

The panel, however, held that the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force and that India’s decision to place it in abeyance does not provide grounds for suspending or terminating the agreement.

India has maintained that the Hague ruling has no legal bearing on its actions.