Amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Pakistan's former foreign minister and chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has leveled a dramatic accusation, stating that India's moves on the four-decade-old treaty are "laying the foundations for the first nuclear water war." As reported by Dawn, speaking to the Middle East Institute in Washington, Bilawal blamed India for trying to deprive Pakistan of its water supply as an "act of war". These remarks have drawn stinging responses, with India renewing its longstanding position that there can be no combination of terrorism and talks and insisting that the IWT would continue to be on hold until Pakistan made tangible actions against cross-border terrorism.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed India's unilateral action on water flow from the Indus river system puts regional peace and Pakistan's existence at stake. “In the age of climate challenges that are to come, water scarcity and water wars used to be a theory. India shutting off Pakistan’s water supply is laying the foundations for the first nuclear water war," said Bilawal, calling on global powers, especially the United States, to put pressure on India to fall into line. He also added that if India were given a free rein, other upper riparian states would be incentivized to use water as a geopolitical instrument. “If India is allowed to cut off our water, that means every upper riparian country with hostilities towards a lower riparian has a carte blanche,” he said.

India Stays Firm, Says "Terror and Talks Can't Coexist"

Signed in 1960 and mediated by the World Bank, the Indus Waters Treaty regulates water sharing of India and Pakistan from the Indus River system. Though enduring wars and diplomatic crises, the treaty has remained strained amid growing hostilities and India's increasing terrorism concerns from Pakistan. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already reaffirmed its strong stance. MEA official Randhir Jaiswal added that any negotiation on the treaty depends on Pakistan's serious action against terrorism. “As far as the Indus Water Treaty is concerned, it will remain in abeyance till the time Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support to cross-border terrorism,” echoing PM Modi, Jaiswal stated at a press conference in New Delhi.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stated earlier that, "Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together." In a strong statement, Jaiswal further said that discussion regarding Jammu and Kashmir will only happen after Pakistan leaves Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). He also reiterated that Pakistan has to return terrorists wanted by India. "Our stand is clear: terrorism has to stop. Pakistan has to act on the wanted list of terrorists we provided years ago," Jaiswal said.

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Prime Minister Modi, during a public address in Alipurduar, West Bengal, issued a strong warning to opponents. Quoting Operation Sindoor, the PM asserted that Indian troops have struck terror camps on Pakistani territory several times and are ready to do more if provoked. “Those responsible for the Pahalgam massacre have been shown the power of Sindoor. If there is any attack in the future, the enemy will have to pay a bigger price,” declared the PM.