Bilawal Bhutto Says Indus River Is Pakistan’s Lifeline, Vows to Defend Water Rights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan does not seek war but will defend its fundamental national interests, stressing that lasting peace between Pakistan and India is not possible without the restoration and implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Addressing a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, Bilawal said water is not merely a geographical issue but one that concerns food security, the future, and human survival.
Referring to recent global developments, he said the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz had demonstrated how strategic waterways can affect the global economy, warning that the use of sea routes or water resources as political tools poses a threat to international peace.
“The Indus River is Pakistan’s lifeline,” Bilawal said, adding that the international community now recognizes that water resources have become a central issue in global politics and security.
He argued that sustainable peace between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without preserving the Indus Waters Treaty, urging the international community to recognize the dangers of using water as a weapon.
Bilawal called for the development of new international legal frameworks to prevent countries from weaponizing shared waterways, warning that otherwise rivers, canals, straits, and downstream nations could increasingly become vulnerable to pressure from upstream states.
The PPP chairman said India’s approach could set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the world and emphasized that Pakistan would not compromise on its water rights or the waters of the Indus River.
He described any deliberate attempt to block another country’s water supply as “an existential attack” and alleged that India’s actions are intended to undermine Pakistan’s water rights.
“If stopping Pakistan’s water amounts to an act of war, then every step taken in that direction cannot be treated as a routine matter,” he said.
Bilawal added that Pakistan would respond to any attempt to use the Indus River as a political weapon through political, diplomatic, and legal channels at every available international forum.
He reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace, not conflict, but said the country’s defense capabilities exist to deter existential threats. He added that effective deterrence requires a clear understanding by any adversary of the consequences of crossing Pakistan’s “red lines.”
Bilawal concluded by saying the situation calls for seriousness, a clear strategy, and the defense of Pakistan’s rights in accordance with international law rather than panic or adventurism.
