'We will seize all 6 rivers': Bilawal Bhutto says India’s Indus water cutoff is call for another war
Home Minister Amit Shah declared the treaty “will never be restored” and announced that water previously flowing into Pakistan would be rerouted to Indian states like Rajasthan via new canal infrastructure.
- Jun 22, 2025,
- Updated Jun 22, 2025 10:30 AM IST
India’s decision to choke off Pakistan’s Indus water supply has ignited full-blown war talk in Islamabad with former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari threatening to “seize all six rivers” if the treaty isn’t restored.
“India has only two options: agree to the Indus Water Treaty, or Pakistan will another wage war,” Bhutto warned in public address.
The rhetoric follows India’s abrupt suspension of its participation in the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty after a deadly terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 civilians.
Home Minister Amit Shah declared the treaty “will never be restored” and announced that water previously flowing into Pakistan would be rerouted to Indian states like Rajasthan via new canal infrastructure. “Pakistan has been receiving this water unjustly,” Shah said.
The move has already slashed water flow to Pakistan by nearly 20%, according to officials. Dams are hitting “dead levels,” and the agricultural sector is bearing the brunt.
Bhutto has framed the issue as existential, calling water “a red line” and warning that India’s actions amount to a declaration of war. “We are the true custodians of the Indus civilisation, and we will defend it,” he said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry echoed the threat, calling India’s move a “brazen violation” of international law and a “dangerous precedent.” Legal action is being considered, but so far international actors have remained silent.
With India pushing ahead on its canal plans and Islamabad warning of military consequences, the Indus — once a symbol of post-colonial cooperation — is now a potential flashpoint.
India’s decision to choke off Pakistan’s Indus water supply has ignited full-blown war talk in Islamabad with former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari threatening to “seize all six rivers” if the treaty isn’t restored.
“India has only two options: agree to the Indus Water Treaty, or Pakistan will another wage war,” Bhutto warned in public address.
The rhetoric follows India’s abrupt suspension of its participation in the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty after a deadly terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 civilians.
Home Minister Amit Shah declared the treaty “will never be restored” and announced that water previously flowing into Pakistan would be rerouted to Indian states like Rajasthan via new canal infrastructure. “Pakistan has been receiving this water unjustly,” Shah said.
The move has already slashed water flow to Pakistan by nearly 20%, according to officials. Dams are hitting “dead levels,” and the agricultural sector is bearing the brunt.
Bhutto has framed the issue as existential, calling water “a red line” and warning that India’s actions amount to a declaration of war. “We are the true custodians of the Indus civilisation, and we will defend it,” he said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry echoed the threat, calling India’s move a “brazen violation” of international law and a “dangerous precedent.” Legal action is being considered, but so far international actors have remained silent.
With India pushing ahead on its canal plans and Islamabad warning of military consequences, the Indus — once a symbol of post-colonial cooperation — is now a potential flashpoint.