After Asim Munir, Bilawal Bhutto threatens India with 'war' over Indus Waters Treaty

A day after Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir issued a fresh nuclear threat against India, former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday (August 11) launched another round of war rhetoric, warning of conflict if New Delhi proceeds with changes to the Indus Waters Treaty.

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Bhutto targets Modi

Addressing a gathering in Sindh, Bhutto accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s water projects on the Indus of being an "attack on our history, culture, and civilisation," alleging that New Delhi was plotting to choke Pakistan’s lifeline, The Express Tribune reported.

The former foreign minister claimed that India had inflicted “great damage” on Pakistan and urged all Pakistanis to "unite" against Prime Minister Modi.

"The actions of the Indian government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, have caused great damage to Pakistan. It is necessary that we, as a united people, stand together against PM Modi and these aggressions," Bhutto said.

Also Read: India scoffs at Asim Munir's nuclear threat, says it's Pak's stock-in-trade

Indus war threat

Bhutto warned that if India persisted with suspending the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan would have “no choice” but to consider war.

He alleged that Modi’s recent announcement of a water project on the Indus amounted to a threat to curtail Pakistan’s water supply. According to him, this “water aggression” was a response to India’s setback in a military clash in May.

Highlighting Sindh’s historic role in defending the Indus, Bhutto declared, "You people (Pakistanis) are strong enough for war to get back all six rivers. If India continues on this path, it leaves us with no choice except to consider all options, including the possibility of war, to protect our national interests."

Also Read: Pak military chief Asim Munir’s nuke threat sparks backlash in India

Munir’s nuclear warning

Bhutto’s comments came a day after General Munir threatened nuclear escalation, warning that if Pakistan faced an existential threat in a future war with India, it would “take half the world down” with it.

"We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us," Munir said.

He further claimed that suspending the Indus Water Treaty could put 250 million people at risk of starvation. He also threatened to destroy any infrastructure India builds on the Indus water channels that could limit flows to Pakistan.

"We have no dearth of missiles. We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles. The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property," he reportedly said.