Indus Waters Treaty: Bilawal Says Lasting Peace With India Impossible Without Restoration
PPP chairman says Pakistan will protect its vital interests and urges the international community to prevent water resources from being used as a political weapon.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addresses a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad.
ISLAMABAD: Indus Waters Treaty must be restored before Pakistan and India can achieve lasting peace, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said, warning that the use of water as a political weapon poses a growing threat to regional and global security.
Addressing a seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, Bilawal said water is not merely a geographical issue but a matter of food security, economic stability and human survival. He added that recent global disruptions, including concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, had demonstrated how strategic waterways can affect the world economy.
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He described the Indus River as Pakistan’s lifeline and warned that using waterways or water resources as instruments of pressure could set a dangerous international precedent. He said the global community increasingly recognises water security as a central issue in international politics and peace.
Bilawal said sustainable peace between Pakistan and India would remain out of reach unless the Indus Waters Treaty is restored. He urged the international community to recognise the seriousness of weaponising water resources and called for new international legal frameworks to prevent shared waterways from becoming tools of political coercion.
He warned that failing to act could leave downstream countries vulnerable to pressure from upstream states, arguing that every river, canal and strategic waterway could become a source of future conflict.
The PPP chairman also criticised India’s approach, saying Pakistan would not compromise on its water rights or the flow of the Indus River. He described any deliberate attempt to disrupt a country’s water supply as an existential threat and accused India of seeking to undermine Pakistan’s water rights.
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Bilawal said Pakistan would respond to any attempt to use water as a weapon through political, diplomatic and legal channels. He added that the country’s defence capability exists to deter existential threats and protect its national interests.
He reiterated that Pakistan does not seek conflict but will safeguard its fundamental interests. He said an effective deterrent requires a clear understanding that crossing established red lines carries consequences, while stressing that Pakistan’s position is based on seriousness, strategic clarity and adherence to international law.
