Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday warned that any attempt to block, divert, manipulate or control Pakistan’s rightful share of water would not be viewed as a routine engineering matter, but as a serious threat with far-reaching consequences.
Addressing a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad today, Bilawal said the Indus River could not be held hostage and rejected any notion of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty through unilateral actions or “arrogance.”
“The river cannot be turned into a weapon, and the thirst of children cannot become the policy of a neighbouring state,” he said, reaffirming that Pakistan would never surrender its water rights.
The PPP chairman said Pakistan remained committed to dialogue, but stressed that any engagement must be conducted within the framework of international law.
“Pakistan wants dialogue, but it must be under the law. We want coexistence, but not submission,” he said, adding that the country would defend its water resources, its people, the Indus Waters Treaty, its sovereignty and its future.
Bilawal further warned that by “weaponising water,” India would not only be violating the Indus Waters Treaty but also pushing South Asia toward the brink of a strategic catastrophe.
He cautioned that if Pakistan perceived any attack on its rivers as a military assault, it would have to respond accordingly, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.
