As New Delhi jumps the gun with provocations against Islamabad and beats the drums of war at Islamabad's doorsteps, the Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday drove home the message to India that Pakistan, as the rightful heir of the great Indus civilisation, will never relinquish its claim to the river.
Reacting to India's unilateral withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, the Bhutto scion said that while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may crow about inheriting the civilisation, the true custodians are on Pakistani soil.
"Sindhu is ours and it will remain ours," declared PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at a charged public rally in Sukkur.
He revealed that the federal government has now agreed to subject the construction of the controversial six new canals to consensus among all provinces.
"Either water or your blood will flow in this river," he warned.
Challenging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of inheriting the Indus civilisation, Bilawal countered, "He [Modi] says they are heirs to a civilisation thousands of years old, but that civilisation lies in Mohenjo Daro, in Larkana. We are its true custodians, and we will defend it."
He asserted that neither the people of Pakistan nor the international community would tolerate Modi's warmongering or any attempts to divert the Indus waters away from Pakistan.
Bilawal said that Modi cannot sever the aeons-old bond between the people of Sindh and the Indus. He added that the Indian government has cast its eyes on Pakistan's water, and the situation demands unity among all four provinces to defend and protect their water.
"We will send a message to the world that robbery on the Sindhu won't be accepted."
Bilawal, who has also served as Pakistan's youngest foreign minister, said the country and its people condemned the recent terrorist attack in India because Pakistanis themselves remain victims of terrorism.
He deplored that India is blaming Pakistan for the assault to conceal the failures of its own government.
He noted that under a baseless accusation, unsupported by any evidence, India is unlawfully abrogating the treaty under which it had acknowledged that the Indus belongs to Pakistan.
The PPP chairman urged his supporters to prepare for a resolute struggle to defend their river from Indian aggression.
He assured Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif that, despite political differences between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), they would stand shoulder to shoulder with the federal government in confronting India.
Canals
The PPP chairman congratulated the party's workers for prevailing against the federal government's unilateral decision to build six new canals on the Indus.
"I want to share that the federal government has decided that no new canals will be built without consensus in the CCI [Council of Common Interests]."
He explained that, unlike previous instances where majority-based decisions were made in the council, the contentious matter of canal construction has now been made subject to consensus among all CCI members.
"We are thankful to PM Sharif for acknowledging your emotions and your objections."
He added that, during his recent meeting with the prime minister in Islamabad, it was also clarified that consensus on water rights, as per the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991 and the Water Policy of 2018, will be ensured.
"Water is one of the most precious commodities, and the makers of the Constitution recognised this, mandating that all water disputes be resolved amicably through consensus, and that concerns of any province shall be addressed with due diligence among all stakeholders," he quoted from the PM's statement issued after their meeting.
Bilawal further pointed out that the next CCI meeting has been scheduled for May 2, and that the Sindh government's repeated objections before the CCI regarding the issuance of water availability certificates by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) will be addressed during that session.
"The problem of constructing new canals will come to an end in that meeting."
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, senior PPP leader from Sukkur Syed Khursheed Shah and other party leaders also addressed the gathering.
PPP welcomes major breakthrough on canal dispute
In a related development, earlier before Bilawal's rally, PPPP central spokesperson Shazia Marri said that Thursday's joint press conference by PM Shehbaz and Bilawal marked a significant breakthrough in the protection of provincial rights and constitutional federalism.
Marri paid tribute to Bilawal for his "principled and courageous leadership" that, she said, led to the federal government's key decision that no new canal would be constructed without mutual consent through the Council of Common Interests.
"This decision is not only a victory for the PPP but also for all federating units and ultimately, for the people of Pakistan," she added.
Shazia Marri reiterated the PPP's commitment to equitable resource distribution and constitutional parity, asserting that water is a national asset and that all decisions regarding its use must be made through collective consultation.
She welcomed the formation of a joint federal-provincial committee to devise a long-term agricultural and water policy in accordance with the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord and the 2018 Water Policy.
"The survival and progress of Pakistan rest on consensus, constitutional harmony, and interprovincial trust," she stressed, adding that the PPP has always championed the rights of the provinces and will continue to do so.
"We believe the prosperity of people living in the federating units strengthens the federation," she added.
Marri also condemned India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling it a cruel and unilateral act.
She noted that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had strongly denounced India's announcement, terming it "illegal and inhumane".
"No single party can suspend such a treaty at will," she said. "Chairman Bilawal will continue to protest in defence of the people's right to Indus waters."
She added that the PPP stood by the government against India's oppressive stance and supported all national efforts to counter it.
"Chairman Bilawal has declared that Pakistan will raise its voice at every international forum against India's inhumane decision and will give a fitting response to this unilateral announcement," she asserted.
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