HYDERABAD:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has warned that any attempt to divert the waters of the Indus River away from Pakistan would be tantamount to an assault on the nation’s history, culture, and centuries-old civilization, particularly that of Sindh.
“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces an attack on the Indus, he is attacking our history, our culture, and our civilization,” Bilawal declared during his address at the closing ceremony of the three-day Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Bhit Shah, Matiari district, on Monday.
Calling the Indus Pakistan’s primary lifeline, Bilawal stressed that the river has nurtured the Indus Valley Civilization for thousands of years. He pointed out that not only Pakistanis, but even many in India, oppose the idea of disrupting its flow. “We have fought wars before, but the Indus was never attacked — no one ever imagined building dams or canals on it,” he said.
The PPP chairman accused the Modi government of issuing a direct threat to 250 million Pakistanis by announcing plans for water projects on the Indus. He recalled raising this issue during diplomatic visits abroad to highlight what he described as “water aggression” by India.
According to Bilawal, this move came in retaliation to India’s military defeat at the hands of Pakistan’s armed forces in May this year. He condemned it as a “historic violation” of the Indus Waters Treaty, underscoring that Sindh holds the largest historic claim to the river’s waters. “Whenever the Sindhu has come under threat, the people of Sindh have stood at the forefront to defend it,” he said, warning that any future conflict could see Pakistan reclaiming all six rivers currently controlled by India.
Reflecting on the recent May clashes between the two neighbors, Bilawal said Pakistan had not initiated hostilities and preferred peaceful resolution of disputes. He noted that while Pakistani diplomats advocated for peace on the global stage, their Indian counterparts pushed for war.
He recalled how India had launched its attack under the cover of night but was met with a decisive and historic response by Pakistan’s armed forces, particularly the air force. Bilawal also praised ordinary citizens for waging an information battle on social media to counter the Modi government’s narrative, and the country’s diplomats for effectively presenting Pakistan’s stance worldwide.
Speaking about his personal and family connection to Hazrat Bhittai, Bilawal said he was honored to attend the Urs for a second time. He noted that his grandfather and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, had all visited the saint’s shrine.
