ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a blunt warning on Monday to India over its unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying Pakistan would not hesitate to respond if its water rights were violated.
Speaking during the budget session of the National Assembly, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman said, “India has two options: share water fairly, or we will take it from all six rivers.” He described India’s move to suspend the 1960 treaty after the April 23 terrorist attack in Pahalgam as both illegal and provocative.
The remarks came nearly two months after India suspended the IWT. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, triggering fresh tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Bilawal argued there is no clause allowing unilateral withdrawal. “India’s claim that the treaty is in abeyance has no legal basis. According to the UN Charter, cutting off water is a form of aggression,” he said.
He warned that if India pursued this course, it could lead to open conflict. “We do not want war, but if water is used as a weapon,” he said. “Pakistan will be forced to act — and we are in a position to defeat India just as we have before,” he claimed.
Bilawal also urged India to resume dialogue, particularly on counterterrorism coordination. “Without engagement, violence will only increase in both countries,” he warned, adding that Pakistan’s own fight against terrorism had been undermined by Indian attempts to “politicise the issue”.
The former FM also accused India of misusing global platforms to target Pakistan. “When we got off the FATF grey list, India tried hard to reverse it through lobbying and misinformation. But our diplomacy prevailed,” he claimed.
He questioned the logic of what he called “PM Modi’s new abnormal”, where any terror incident is met with immediate threats against Pakistan. “We suffer terrorist attacks far more frequently than India — many traced to Indian funding or involvement. Should we adopt the same policy of automatic retaliation? That would mean surrendering our future to the agenda of terrorists,” he said.
Bilawal insisted that peace in South Asia was not possible without dialogue and mutual trust. “We are not only fighting for Pakistan’s future, we are fighting for regional stability, for the people of both countries,” he said.
The IWT, one of the few surviving agreements between India and Pakistan, allocates water from six rivers in the Indus basin. Under the treaty, India has control over the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Speaking during the budget session of the National Assembly, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman said, “India has two options: share water fairly, or we will take it from all six rivers.” He described India’s move to suspend the 1960 treaty after the April 23 terrorist attack in Pahalgam as both illegal and provocative.
The remarks came nearly two months after India suspended the IWT. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, triggering fresh tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Bilawal argued there is no clause allowing unilateral withdrawal. “India’s claim that the treaty is in abeyance has no legal basis. According to the UN Charter, cutting off water is a form of aggression,” he said.
He warned that if India pursued this course, it could lead to open conflict. “We do not want war, but if water is used as a weapon,” he said. “Pakistan will be forced to act — and we are in a position to defeat India just as we have before,” he claimed.
Bilawal also urged India to resume dialogue, particularly on counterterrorism coordination. “Without engagement, violence will only increase in both countries,” he warned, adding that Pakistan’s own fight against terrorism had been undermined by Indian attempts to “politicise the issue”.
The former FM also accused India of misusing global platforms to target Pakistan. “When we got off the FATF grey list, India tried hard to reverse it through lobbying and misinformation. But our diplomacy prevailed,” he claimed.
He questioned the logic of what he called “PM Modi’s new abnormal”, where any terror incident is met with immediate threats against Pakistan. “We suffer terrorist attacks far more frequently than India — many traced to Indian funding or involvement. Should we adopt the same policy of automatic retaliation? That would mean surrendering our future to the agenda of terrorists,” he said.
Bilawal insisted that peace in South Asia was not possible without dialogue and mutual trust. “We are not only fighting for Pakistan’s future, we are fighting for regional stability, for the people of both countries,” he said.
The IWT, one of the few surviving agreements between India and Pakistan, allocates water from six rivers in the Indus basin. Under the treaty, India has control over the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
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