'Either our water will flow or their...': Bilawal Bhutto warns India on Indus Water Treaty freeze
His remarks followed India's sweeping diplomatic and economic moves, including downgrading ties with Islamabad, expelling Pakistani military attachés, closing the Attari land transit post.
- Apr 26, 2025,
- Updated Apr 26, 2025 9:03 AM IST
As tensions with India escalated over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a chilling warning: "The Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either our water will flow through it, or their blood will."
His statement came just days after the Pahalgam terror attack reignited hostilities between the two countries.
Bhutto-Zardari accused India of scapegoating Pakistan to cover up its internal security lapses. His remarks followed India's sweeping diplomatic and economic moves, including downgrading ties with Islamabad, expelling Pakistani military attachés, closing the Attari land transit post, and halting the Indus Waters Treaty.
India announced plans to ensure no water from the Indus River flows into Pakistan. Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said steps would be taken so that “not a single drop of water is wasted.” Officials revealed plans to expand dam capacities along the Indus basin, as part of a short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategy.
The government formally notified Pakistan of the treaty suspension on Thursday, a day after the public announcement. In a letter, India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said, "The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir."
The suspension, described as holding the treaty "in abeyance," halts all obligations — including commissioner meetings, data sharing, and advance project notifications. It also frees India to build dams without seeking Pakistani approval.
Pakistan swiftly rejected India's move, warning that any attempt to block its water share would be seen as an “act of war.” The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiation and brokered by the World Bank, had allocated three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — primarily to Pakistan.
Experts warn that the suspension could seriously impact Pakistan’s agricultural economy by disrupting critical water flows during key crop seasons. Notably, the treaty contains no clause that explicitly allows unilateral suspension.
As tensions with India escalated over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a chilling warning: "The Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either our water will flow through it, or their blood will."
His statement came just days after the Pahalgam terror attack reignited hostilities between the two countries.
Bhutto-Zardari accused India of scapegoating Pakistan to cover up its internal security lapses. His remarks followed India's sweeping diplomatic and economic moves, including downgrading ties with Islamabad, expelling Pakistani military attachés, closing the Attari land transit post, and halting the Indus Waters Treaty.
India announced plans to ensure no water from the Indus River flows into Pakistan. Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said steps would be taken so that “not a single drop of water is wasted.” Officials revealed plans to expand dam capacities along the Indus basin, as part of a short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategy.
The government formally notified Pakistan of the treaty suspension on Thursday, a day after the public announcement. In a letter, India’s Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said, "The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir."
The suspension, described as holding the treaty "in abeyance," halts all obligations — including commissioner meetings, data sharing, and advance project notifications. It also frees India to build dams without seeking Pakistani approval.
Pakistan swiftly rejected India's move, warning that any attempt to block its water share would be seen as an “act of war.” The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiation and brokered by the World Bank, had allocated three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — primarily to Pakistan.
Experts warn that the suspension could seriously impact Pakistan’s agricultural economy by disrupting critical water flows during key crop seasons. Notably, the treaty contains no clause that explicitly allows unilateral suspension.