Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the former foreign minister of Pakistan and the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), made a strong declaration in the National Assembly on Monday, claiming that if India did not give Pakistan its fair share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Pakistan would go to war.
This warning comes after India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in response to the terrorist incident in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. Amit Shah, the Indian Home Minister, later declared that India will never bring the historic agreement back.
India’s decision to suspend the treaty was vehemently denounced by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who said it was unlawful and against the UN Charter and the IWT. He underlined that the IWT is still legally binding on both nations and cannot be unilaterally suspended. He made reference to the six rivers of the Indus basin that are at the heart of the treaty when he said, “India has two options: share water fairly, or we will deliver water to us from all six rivers.”
Any attempt to halt or divert Pakistan’s share of water would be deemed an act of aggression, according to the former foreign minister, who described India’s action as a serious threat. He underlined the existential significance of water for Pakistan and the region by threatening that “we will have to wage a war again” if India carries out its threat.
Two days before to Bilawal’s comments, Amit Shah’s statement was denounced as a “brazen disregard” for international agreements by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, which was headed by Ishaq Dar. The IWT is a globally recognized treaty as well as a bilateral pact, according to Pakistan, and any violation would have dire consequences.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasized the necessity of communication and collaboration between India and Pakistan, particularly in the context of counterterrorism, in addition to the threat of conflict. He cautioned that violence in both nations would only worsen if there was a lack of collaboration and communication on security issues.
Additionally, he charged India with using terrorism as a political tool and trying to sabotage Pakistan’s advancement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) front by using diplomatic pressure and “false narratives” to push for Pakistan to return to the grey list.
Noting that previous US President Donald Trump had indicated his desire to mediate the conflict, Bilawal further claimed that Pakistan has been successful in bringing the Kashmir problem to the attention of the world.
With the suspension of the IWT and other punitive actions from India, including the cancellation of Pakistani citizen visas, the closure of the Wagah-Attari border crossing, the closure of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and the reduction of diplomatic personnel at each other’s embassies, the current situation represents a significant escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan. With water security now at the center of their long-standing dispute, both parties are still at a diplomatic standstill.
In addition to underscoring the wider geopolitical and diplomatic ramifications of the current escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s statement underlines Pakistan’s profound worries over water security and the sanctity of international treaties.
