New Delhi: Escalating its aggressive rhetoric, Pakistan has issued yet another threat to India — this time from former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari — warning of war if New Delhi continues to suspend the Indus Water Treaty in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at a Sindh government cultural event on Monday, Bhutto accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of inflicting “great damage” on Pakistan and urged citizens to unite. “If India continues to block our water, we will have no choice but to consider all options — including war — to reclaim all six rivers,” he declared.
He further warned, “If you (India) carry out attacks like Sindoor, every province of Pakistan is ready to fight back. This is a war you will definitely lose. We will not bow down.”
Bhutto’s remarks come just a day after Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, issued a chilling nuclear threat, vowing to “take half the world down” if Pakistan faced an existential crisis in a future war with India. Munir also threatened to destroy any dam India might build on the Indus water system, claiming such actions could starve 250 million Pakistanis.
New Delhi dismissed Munir’s nuclear rhetoric as Pakistan’s “stock-in-trade” and condemned the statements as irresponsible, particularly when made from the soil of a friendly third country. The Ministry of External Affairs said the comments only reinforce doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command integrity, given the military’s links with terrorist groups.
“The international community can draw its own conclusions. India will not succumb to nuclear blackmail and will take all steps to safeguard national security,” the MEA affirmed.
The sharp exchange underscores growing tensions between the two neighbours as Islamabad leans heavily on aggressive posturing over water rights and cross-border militancy.
