Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a provocative statement aimed at India following New Delhi’s formal decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, a move that came in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead.
Speaking at an event in Sukkur, located along the Indus River, Bhutto-Zardari said, “India has blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, with Prime Minister Modi making false accusations to distract from his own shortcomings. He has now taken the unilateral step of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, through which India had acknowledged Pakistan’s rights to the Indus. I want to state clearly: this river is ours and will remain ours. Either water will flow through the Indus, or their blood will.”
Tensions have escalated sharply between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since the attack, which was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. In response, India initiated steps to suspend the decades-old 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, citing Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.
The Indian Ministry of Jal Shakti formally notified Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, invoking Article XII(3) of the treaty. The letter cited shifting demographics, evolving energy requirements, and Pakistan’s purported backing of terrorism as reasons why the treaty can no longer be upheld “in good faith.”
The fallout from the treaty’s suspension has also sparked political tensions within Pakistan. The controversial Cholistan canals project, launched earlier this year by the military and Punjab’s provincial government, has been halted amid widespread protests in Sindh and objections from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto, it was agreed that no new canals would be built without approval from the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
In a joint press briefing, Prime Minister Sharif stated, “No canal will be constructed until a mutual consensus is reached through the CCI.”
Earlier, Bhutto had called India’s suspension of the treaty “illegal and inhumane,” vowing to take Pakistan’s case to both the public and international forums.
Meanwhile, India has begun identifying Pakistani nationals in the country on short-term visas, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah directing state governments to expedite their return. Shah also convened a high-level meeting to assess the broader implications of suspending the treaty.
