Indus Water Treaty Suspension: Bilawal Bhutto Warns Of War If India Uses 'Water As A Weapon’

Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has issued warning to India, asserting that any violation of Pakistan’s water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would compel a strong response, reported Times of India.

Zardari is the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is an important partner in the Shehbaz Sherif led ruling coalition in Pakistan.

Addressing the National Assembly during the budget session, Zardari accused New Delhi of acting “illegally and provocatively” by unilaterally suspending the 1960 treaty following the 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

“India has two options: share water fairly, or we will take it from all six rivers,” Bilawal stated.

“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 added.

“We do not want war, but if water is used as a weapon, Pakistan will be forced to act — and we are in a position to defeat India just as we have before," he added.

Bilawal accused India of using international platforms to discredit 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.

Rejecting what he described as “PM Modi’s new abnormal,” Bilawal said, “We suffer terrorist attacks far more frequently than India… Should we adopt the same policy of automatic retaliation?”

He also called for the resumption of dialogue, particularly around counter-terrorism, stating, “Without engagement, violence will only increase in both countries.”

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