Pakistan has achieved a key procedural victory in its long-standing IWT dispute with India. The Court of Arbitration directed India to submit operational records from two contested hydropower projects.
The court issued a 13-page Procedural Order requiring India to provide logbooks from the Baglihar and Kishanganga hydroelectric plants by February 9, 2026. India must formally explain any refusal to comply.
Pakistan has been asked to specify the exact documents it needs by February 2, 2026. A hearing in the Second Phase on the Merits will take place in The Hague from February 2 to 3, regardless of India’s participation.
A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by the attorney general and the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters, will travel to The Hague on Saturday. Pakistan’s international legal team and the ambassador to the Netherlands will also join.
Pakistan has repeatedly argued that India has misused IWT provisions by overstating installed capacity and projected electricity load. Islamabad claims this allows excessive water storage, threatening Pakistan’s water security.
The court acknowledged that the operational records, called “pondage logbooks,” are relevant and material. They will help determine how installed capacity and projected load should be calculated for maximum permissible pondage.
Pakistan may request interim measures to prevent further harm to its treaty rights. These could include steps to halt activities that could worsen the dispute.
The court clarified that only a Court of Arbitration, not a Neutral Expert, can grant such interim relief.
Independent legal experts say the ruling strengthens Pakistan’s case. The decision emphasizes that actual hydropower operations, not theoretical design claims, are central to IWT compliance.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about its water security in the ongoing IWT dispute. Read more in our coverage on Pakistan Warns India on Water Security, Urges Diplomatic Resolution.
This development marks a procedural milestone for Pakistan in the ongoing water dispute with India. The submission of operational records is expected to play a critical role in resolving the matter.
