ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that war would be the only option left for Pakistan if India attempts to block its rightful share of water, calling such a move an existential threat.
In an interview with German broadcaster DW Urdu, Bilawal said Pakistan would never compromise on its rightful share of water under any circumstances.
“Such actions pose an existential threat to Pakistan… Water is our lifeline, and we will never relinquish our rightful share under any circumstances,” Bilawal said.
He was referring to India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) after the April 22 attack in the Pahalgam area of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
India linked Pakistan to the attack without providing any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, including suspending the IWT, revoking visas of Pakistanis, and closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, among others.
Islamabad, in response, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.
Pakistan had condemned the Pahalgam incident and strongly rejected the Indian government’s allegations. Pakistan repeatedly offered a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident.
However, India failed to respond to Pakistan’s offer and continued with its aggressive posture, jeopardizing regional peace.
A high-level Pakistani Parliamentary delegation, led by Bilawal, recently wrapped up a high-level peace mission to Brussels after successful visits to Washington, New York and London to counter the Indian propaganda in the aftermath of the recent conflict between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.
During the interview, Bilawal termed India’s threat to stop water flow to Pakistan as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter.
He stressed that if India resorts to water aggression, “Pakistan will be left with no choice but war.”
Bilawal further said that India is involved in supporting terrorist activities inside Pakistan. “Despite that, we have never advocated for war as a response to terrorism,” he said.
“We do not want war,” Bilawal reiterated, emphasising Pakistan’s preference for peace but asserting that the country’s survival and water security are non-negotiable.
Last month, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.
Pakistan downed six Indian Air Force fighter jets, including three Rafale jets, and dozens of drones.
After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
According to ISPR, a total of 53 individuals, including 13 personnel of the armed forces and 40 civilians, were martyred in Indian strikes during the recent military confrontation.
