'No Submission': Bilawal Bhutto Vows Pakistan Will Defend Indus Waters

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has issued a fresh warning to India over the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terrorist attack has led to a severe water crisis and panic in the country. 

What did Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari say?

Speaking at a seminar in Islamabad on the Indus Water Treaty, Bilawal issued a warning to India, saying that if anyone thinks Pakistan will hand over the Indus, they don't know Pakistan. The PPP Chairman said that Pakistan will protect its water, its people, its treaty, and its future.

“If anyone believes that Pakistan will surrender the Sindh, they do not know Pakistan. They do not know Sindh. They do not know Punjab. They do not know Balochistan. They do not know Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They do not know Kashmir or Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

"We want coexistence, but not submission," he added.

What did the Pakistan say?

In his address at the seminar, Bilawal said that any attempt to undermine Pakistan's water rights would be met with a national response. 

"Pakistan must speak clearly. The Indus is not a pressure point. The Indus is not a bargaining chip. The Indus is not a weapon to be placed in India's hands. The Indus is a lifeline of Pakistan. And any attempt to turn that lifeline into a noose must be treated as a threat to the survival of our state. This is the message that Pakistan must deliver to India," he said.

The PPP leader described the Indus River as Pakistan's lifeline and said that any attempt to turn that lifeline into a noose should be considered a threat to Pakistan's very existence. This is the message Pakistan must convey to India and the world.

What about the water crisis in Pakistan?

The PPP leader's comments come at a time when Pakistan's water crisis has worsened following India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. Agricultural regions like Sindh and Balochistan are facing severe water shortages. Bilawal's hollow warnings are being seen as an attempt to garner support among his countrymen amid growing concerns over water.

Bilawal acknowledged that the dispute with India over the Indus River poses a serious threat to the existence of economically strapped Pakistan. He said the water issue should be viewed not just as a technical dispute but as a matter of national security.

What did Musadik Malik say?

The development comes a day after Pakistan's Climate Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik declaring that Islamabad would "cut off those hands" that sought to claim Islamabad's share under the IWT. 

While addressing a joint press conference, Musadik Malik accused India of trying to control its water supply and warned of consequences if Islamabad's water rights were threatened.

"There is a tap being controlled by the prime minister of a neighbouring country. He says he will not let even a drop of water flow into Pakistan," Malik said.