The political leadership in Pakistan has come under tremendous pressure from the public after India stopped the flow of water from the Indus River, leading to hollow threats from Pakistani leaders towards India.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has issued yet another threat to India, stating that if the water flow is not restored, Pakistan would “seize all six rivers.”
A clip of Bhutto’s recent public address has gone viral on social media, in which he is heard saying, "India has only two options: agree to the Indus Water Treaty, or Pakistan will wage another war."
His remarks follow India’s retaliatory action after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which New Delhi suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, stated that the treaty would never be reinstated and declared that the water previously flowing to Pakistan would now be redirected to Indian states such as Rajasthan through new canal systems. Shah described Pakistan’s previous access to this water as unfair.
Indian officials report that the decision has already reduced Pakistan’s water supply by approximately 20%. Reservoirs are reaching critically low levels, with the farming sector suffering severe consequences.
Pakistani leader Bhutto framed the water dispute as a matter of national survival, describing water access as non-negotiable and suggesting that India’s actions constitute an act of aggression. He positioned Pakistan as the rightful heir to the Indus Valley’s heritage.
