New Delhi: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and the former foreign minister of the country, has claimed India is laying the ground for the first nuclear war due its action regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Notably, India suspended the IWT following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 which killed 26 innocent civilians.
According to Dawn, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman was addressing the Middle East Institute, “In the age of climate challenges that are to come, water scarcity and water wars used to be a theory. India shutting off Pakistan’s water supply is laying the foundations for the first nuclear water war.”
He added, “We have said that cutting off our water supply would be an act of war. We don’t say it in a jingoistic manner. We don’t say it with any relish. It is an existential crisis for us. Any country on the planet, no matter their size, their strength or their ability, would fight for their survival and fight for their water.” He also said, “India must abide by the IWT and the US and other countries must take a firm stance to not allow it to violate the treaty.”
Bilawal took an aggressive stand and said, “If India is allowed to cut off our water, that means that every upper riparian with hostilities to a lower riparian now has a carte blanche.” While speaking at the event, Bhutto also said Pakistan was expecting India to abide by “the old treaties” and cancel the suspension of IWT.
He also said, “And if our dialogue and diplomacy in pursuit of peace are to be successful, if we are to talk to India, have a positive dialogue with India, make new arrangements, new deals, perhaps even new treaties with India, then surely they first must abide by the old treaties and take back their decision vis-a-vis the IWT.”
Notably, the IWT was signed in 1960, and it dictated the water distribution from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.
Earlier, Bhutto said that cooperation between Pakistan and India’s intelligence agencies can go a long way in significantly curbing terrorism across South Asia. He said, “I am completely confident that if ISI and RAW were ready to sit down and work together to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism in both India and Pakistan.”
