Islamabad/New Delhi (National Times): As diplomatic tensions flare between India and Pakistan following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has made a fiery and provocative statement. “The Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either our water will flow through it, or their blood will,” Bhutto declared, sparking fresh concerns over escalating hostilities between the two nations.
His remarks come in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives and has led to a sharp deterioration in Indo-Pak ties. India has responded with a series of strong diplomatic measures, including suspending the decades-old water-sharing agreement, downgrading diplomatic ties, shutting down the Attari land transit post, and expelling Pakistani military attachés.
India’s Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil recently stated that the government will now take all necessary steps to ensure that “not a single drop of water is wasted”, signaling a clear intent to reroute and utilize Indus waters entirely within Indian borders.
In an official communication to Pakistan, Water Resources Secretary Debashree Mukherjee explained the reason behind the treaty’s suspension, stating: “The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
India has clarified that the suspension places the treaty “in abeyance”, effectively freezing obligations like commissioner-level meetings, data exchange, and project notifications — thereby giving India the green light to pursue dam-building without prior consent from Pakistan.
Bhutto-Zardari, in his speech, accused India of diverting attention from its internal security failures by pinning blame on Pakistan and using the treaty suspension as political cover.
