India lashes out at the Indus Treaty Tribunal while 'Pak-Backed Charade' The court's jurisdiction is lacking.

In a tough and unyielding position, India has critically condemned recent arbitration hearings under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), referring to the tribunal to be a "Pak-backed charade" and stating that the court is not empowered to render a verdict. This response has ignited a new round of diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan—two neighbors with a long and complex history, most notably on water-sharing agreements. But what's really happening, and why is India so angry? Let's look at this conflict a little closer, a bit more humanly, at what the argument signifies—not only for politicians and diplomats but for the millions who rely on the rivers running through both countries. A Treaty Meant to Build Trust The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty was facilitated by the World Bank and was cited to be one of the greatest successes in water diplomacy. It separates India and Pakistan from the six rivers that make up the Indus basin. The three eastern rivers—t...