Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has issued a fresh warning over India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, declaring that any attempt to undermine Pakistan’s water rights would trigger a national response.

Speaking at an international seminar in Islamabad, he linked regional stability directly to the 1960 water-sharing pact, insisting that peace for Pakistan comes at a cost.

Bhutto-Zardari delivered an impassioned speech, invoking the provinces and territories of Pakistan, from Sindh and Punjab to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. He argued that the people who have lived by these rivers for thousands of years would never surrender their rights. 

He stressed that Pakistan sought peace with dignity, dialogue under law, and coexistence without submission, warning that the country would defend its water, treaty, sovereignty and future.

He accused India of failing to honour its commitments and described the use of water as a weapon as contrary to international law. He declared that the Indus was not a bargaining chip or a pressure point, but a lifeline for Pakistan. Any attempt to turn that lifeline into a noose, he said, must be treated as a threat to the survival of the state.

Bilawal’s remarks came against the backdrop of New Delhi’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance following the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. India has maintained that “blood and water cannot flow together” until Islamabad takes verifiable action against cross-border terror networks.

The PPP leader attempted to shift responsibility entirely onto India, demanding compliance with the treaty and asserting that the waters of the Indus were the guarantee of Pakistan’s survival. He emphasised that sustainable peace could not be achieved without restoring the treaty, particularly as Pakistan faces severe water scarcity in agricultural regions such as Sindh and Balochistan.

Bilawal also highlighted the suspension of hydrological data by New Delhi, which has left Islamabad without crucial information on river flows. He warned that this has exposed Pakistan’s vulnerabilities and undermined its ability to take timely action.

Former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, now Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, reinforced the message. She argued that India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty challenged the international rules-based order.

She stressed that the treaty was unequivocal and could not be held in abeyance through political statements, noting that any modification or termination required the consent of both governments.

Khar questioned why India believed it could violate a treaty long regarded as one of the world’s most successful transboundary water agreements. She pointed out that the framework had survived three full-scale wars between India and Pakistan, and expressed concern that it was now being undermined by unilateral political decisions rather than conflict.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar added his voice, describing the treaty as a vital instrument of peace, stability and cooperation. He warned that altering water dynamics would have profound consequences for regional security, affecting nearly two billion people in South Asia. In a social media post, he insisted that shared waters must remain a bridge between nations, guided by dialogue and respect for international law.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attempted to elevate the importance of the seminar, describing it as a first-of-its-kind international conference. He said Pakistan was seeking to reinforce its case against India’s suspension of the agreement, even as the country faces acute diplomatic isolation.

India, meanwhile, has accelerated work on strategic hydropower and water infrastructure projects on the western rivers to maximise utilisation of waters under its control. New Delhi remains firm that the treaty will stay in abeyance until Pakistan takes irreversible steps to dismantle terror networks.

The crisis has severely impacted Pakistan’s fragile agrarian economy and power generation, both heavily dependent on the Indus River system.

With hydrological data withheld and water scarcity worsening, Islamabad’s leadership has resorted to increasingly desperate rhetoric, warning of existential threats and profound consequences for regional peace.

ANI