Bilawal Bhutto says Pakistan will go to war if India denies water under IWT

Pakistan’s former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said his country will go to war if India denies Islamabad its fair share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

India put in abeyance the 1960 agreement soon after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week announced to never restore the historic accord.

Bilawal's comments came two days after Pakistan's Foreign Ministry criticised Shah's “brazen disregard” for international agreements.

Bilawal, in a speech in parliament, rejected the Indian decision to suspend the agreement and threatened to get Pakistan's share of water.

“India has two options: share water fairly, or we will deliver water to us from all six rivers,” he said referring to the six rivers of the Indus basin.

He said the IWT was still in vogue as the agreement cannot be held in abeyance.

“The attack on Sindhu (Indus river) and India's claim that the IWT has ended and it's in abeyance. First, this is illegal, as the IWT is not in abeyance, it is binding on Pakistan and India, but the threat itself of stopping water is illegal according to the UN charter,” he said.

Bilawal, who is head of the Pakistan Peoples Party, threatened that if India decides to follow through on the threat, “we will have to wage war again”.

The former foreign minister also highlighted the importance of talks and cooperation, especially in counterterrorism efforts.

“If India and Pakistan refuse to talk, and if there is no coordination on terrorism, then violence will only intensify in both countries,” he said.