Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has escalated rhetoric over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that any attempt to restrict Pakistan’s share of Indus waters would be viewed as a serious national security threat.
Speaking at an international seminar, Bilawal said Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine considers threats to the country’s economy and waterways among the rare circumstances that could endanger its survival. He argued that the Indus Waters Treaty dispute should not be treated merely as an environmental or diplomatic issue but as an existential challenge.
His remarks came after India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack, a move that drew strong criticism from Pakistan, where the Indus River system supports nearly 80 percent of the country’s agriculture.
Bilawal asserted that Pakistan would defend its water rights and sovereignty, stating that the Indus River is the country’s lifeline and not a bargaining tool. He also reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace and dialogue, but not at the cost of compromising its fundamental rights.
The PPP leader recalled his earlier warning made in 2025, when he strongly opposed India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance and vowed that Pakistan would resist any attempt to curtail its access to Indus waters.
(Agencies)
