LONDON: Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister and the head of the Pakistani parliamentary delegation, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, warned India on Monday that Pakistan would be forced to take aggressive actions if India proceeds with building new canals or dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan.
His remarks, made during an interview with Sky News, condemned the weaponization of water by India and emphasized the severe consequences for the region if such steps were taken.
Bilawal, also the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), declared that India’s threat to cut off water supplies to 240 million Pakistanis would be a violation of the United Nations Charter. He stressed that if India acted on this threat, Pakistan would consider it an act of war.
“We can’t allow this precedent to be set; we can’t weaponize water,” he said, underscoring that any attempt by India to build new infrastructure on the three rivers shared between the two nations would trigger more aggressive steps from Pakistan.
The former foreign minister highlighted that although Pakistan and India had been to war before, the current situation presented a uniquely dangerous precedent. “At the moment, the threshold for conflict between India and Pakistan is the lowest it’s ever been in our history. We’ve achieved a ceasefire, but we have not achieved peace,” Bilawal noted.
He reiterated that throughout the recent escalation, Pakistan had acted with restraint and responsibility, and emphasized that the country’s message remains one of peace, through dialogue and diplomacy.
Bilawal underscored that Pakistan believes there is no military solution to any of the disputes with India. “Unfortunately, India refuses to talk,” he said. “We are going from capital to capital, engaging with the international community, seeking their assistance in our pursuit for peace.”
Bilawal also addressed the ongoing issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which governs water-sharing between the two countries. He explained that there is no legal basis for suspending or putting the treaty “in abeyance,” as it involves not only Pakistan and India, but also international institutions, requiring consensus for any changes.
Bilawal emphasized that while India has delayed water releases, the flow of water has not been completely stopped, as India currently lacks the capacity to do so.
On the topic of terrorism, Bilawal defended Pakistan’s actions against terrorist groups, pointing to the country’s successful efforts under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) framework, which led to its removal from the FATF grey list.
He also rejected the suggestion that Pakistan was linked to a recent terrorist attack in India, stating that it was carried out by an indigenous group within India. “The terrorist attack had nothing to do with Pakistan,” he asserted.
Bilawal reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the Pakistan-India ceasefire, acknowledging that U.S. President Donald Trump deserved credit for helping broker the agreement. He accused India of engaging in misinformation, claiming the country went to war under false pretenses.
“India went to war on the basis of a lie, and then they couldn’t win that war,” Bilawal remarked, criticizing India for its dishonesty in reporting the details of the conflict. He pointed out that India had not identified a single terrorist involved in the attack or provided any evidence of the border crossing.
The Pakistani leader also called for the United Kingdom to play a more active role in encouraging India to engage in dialogue with Pakistan. Bilawal described Pakistan’s interactions with the UK as “really positive” and expressed hope that the UK government would help facilitate discussions.
However, he criticized India’s refusal to engage in mediation or impartial investigations into the terrorist attack, as well as its rejection of dialogue with Pakistan. “If they’re stuck in the status quo, we’ve lowered the conflict threshold between India and Pakistan to the point where any terrorist attack means war,” he warned.
