Pakistan, Aug. 12 -- Pakistan on Monday welcomed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), terming it a major endorsement of its stance on water rights over the western rivers. The award, announced on August 8 and published on the court's website on Monday, sets out design parameters for new run-of-river hydropower projects to be constructed by India on the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the court ruled that India must "let flow" the waters of the western rivers for Pakistan's unrestricted use, with only limited exceptions for hydropower generation, which must strictly comply with the treaty's provisions.

The court upheld Pakis...