The Honorable Minister of State for Law and Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, attended a side session organized by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
During the session, the representative of India announced that a country office of the PCA will soon be opened in New Delhi and claimed that India upholds and respects the principles of international law and the awards and observations made by international organisations/forums, such as PCA. He also referred to the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), currently pending before the PCA.
Responding to these remarks, the Honorable Minister observed that the Indian government appears confused in its own stance. On international forums, India asserts that it respects and upholds International Law, yet in practice it continues to flout arbitral principles and disregards binding interlocutory observations of international organisations, including the PCA, particularly in the matter pertaining to the IWT.
The Minister highlighted this contradiction, noting that despite openly violating international legal and arbitral norms, India now seeks to open a PCA office in New Delhi.