If India uses water as weapon, Pakistan is ready to fight, says Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued a blunt warning Monday to India over its unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying Pakistan would not hesitate to respond if its water rights were violated. Speaking during the budget session of National Assembly, the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman said, “India has two options: share water fairly, or we will take it from all six rivers.” He described India’s move to suspend the 1960 treaty after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam as both illegal and provocative.

Bilawal argued there is no clause allowing unilateral withdrawal. “India’s claim that the treaty is in abeyance has no legal basis. According to the UN Charter, cutting off water is a form of aggression,” he said. He warned that if India pursued this course, it could lead to open conflict.

“We do not want war, but if water is used as a weapon... Pakistan will be forced to act — and we are in a position to defeat India just as we have before,” he said.

Bilawal urged India to resume dialogue, particularly on counterterrorism coordination. “Without engagement, violence will increase in both countries,” he warned, adding Pakistan’s own fight against terrorism had been undermined by Indian attempts to “politicise the issue”.