Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that Pakistan wants peace with dignity and dialogue under law, rejecting any submission to India.
The warning comes after India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari described the Indus River as Pakistan's lifeline and warned that any attempt to undermine its water rights would face a united national response.
“Coexistence, But Not Submission,” Bilawal Warns India Over Indus Waters Suspension
Speaking at an international seminar, Bilawal Bhutto accused New Delhi of undermining the water-sharing pact, cautioning against the weaponisation of water resources
Summary
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. This action has prompted sharp reactions from Islamabad since the decision was announced. In fresh criticism, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday that his nation wants "peace with dignity" and "dialogue under law".
"We want coexistence, but not submission," he added.
Speaking at an international seminar, Bhutto-Zardari accused New Delhi of undermining the water-sharing pact, cautioning against the weaponisation of water resources. He said any attempt to weaken Pakistan's position on the agreement would meet a united national response.
New Delhi meanwhile has refused to revive the agreement. Government officials stated that the suspension will persist until Pakistan takes verifiable and irreversible steps against cross-border terrorism.
Indus Is No Weapon
Water cannot be a weapon, Bhutto-Zardari said arguing that employing natural resources to exert political pressure violates international law and warned that any threat to Pakistan's water access would provoke a massive domestic backlash.
"If anyone believes that Pakistan will surrender 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. They do not know the people who have lived by these rivers for thousands and thousands of years," Bhutto-Zardari said.
He added, "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," the former Pakistan foreign minister said.
"Pakistan will defend its water, its people, its treaty, its sovereignty and its future," Bhutto added.
He said Pakistan must convey this position to India and the world. The message should be delivered "not in panic, not in hysteria, not in recklessness, but with the cold clarity of a people who know what is at stake".
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Threats To Regional Peace
Calling Water security as national security, Bhutto said that New Delhi must respect Islamabad's established rights over the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers adding that regional stability depends entirely on restoring the water-sharing pact.
He said Pakistan adhered to the ceasefire terms while India failed to fully honour its commitments.
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar backed the pact. The agreement remains a key tool to maintain stability, build trust and encourage cooperation across the region, Dar said. Altering the current water-sharing system would threaten regional peace, he added.
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