Says politicisation of water akin to hybrid warfare
PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday cautioned that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan will have devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond.
He was speaking to the media after receiving an initial briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he leads the high-level diplomatic delegation to world capitals to brief foreign leaders on India’s aggression and efforts to destabilise regional peace.
Bilawal said they received an initial briefing at the Foreign Office on the ceasefire, Kashmir, terrorism and the “attack” on the Indus Waters Treaty.
He said these briefings will be held for the next few days, and then as per the prime minister’s directive, they will visit different countries to present Pakistan’s stance that is based on peace.
He said Pakistan desired peace in the region that can be achieved by addressing the flashpoints, whether it was the Kashmir dispute or terrorism.
“Pakistan is one of the biggest victims of terrorism,” he noted.
Bilawal cautioned that the “new normal” which India is seeking is not in its favour either.
“We have seen how after a terrorist attack, both countries can come close to a nuclear war,” he added.
Bilawal said there was a need to hold dialogue and find solutions to the issue of terrorism.
He said the people of both countries sought peace, which was not possible until the three main issues — Kashmir, terrorism, and water — were resolved.
He expressed grave concerns about India’s weaponisation of water and highlighted the need for Pakistan to inform the world about it.
He said that they will inform foreign governments and people that a conflict between two nuclear countries will have severe consequences beyond the region.
He also appreciated the efforts of the prime minister during the conflict, saying Pakistan demonstrated a ‘reasonable and rational role’ after India’s baseless accusations.
“Pakistan was not the aggressor, we defended ourselves,” adding the world is welcoming our stance as we stood with the truth, while India built a narrative on lies and falsehoods.
