Bilawal attends Bhittai Urs, vows to defend Indus

Warns India against tampering with Indus River; calls it a threat to 250 million Pakistanis and violation of historic

HYDERABAD:

The Pakistan Peoples Party's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has equated the diversion of the Indus river's water away from Pakistan as an attack on the history, culture and civilization of the country particularly Sindh. "If Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces an attack on Indus, he attacks our history, our culture and our civilization," he accentuate in his speech delivered at the concluding ceremony of the three-day urs celebrations of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Bhit Shah, Matiari district, on Monday.

He referred to the Indus as the singular major water source for the entire country and said the Indus valley civilization has remained connected with the river for aeons. He believed that not only the people of Pakistan but even those in India have been opposing such an attack. "We have fought wars in the past but the Indus was never attacked and no one even thought of building dams or canals on the river."

The PPP's chairman said by announcing water project on the river, Modi has issued a direct threat to 250 million Pakistanis that he would stop their water. He recalled that during his delegation level visits to the foreign countries they raised this water aggression to expose the ferocious plans of the Modi government.

He recalled that the water aggression started as a reaction to Indian forces' defeat at the hands of Pakistan's armed forces in May this year. He described it as a historic attack and a blatant violation of the Indus River Treaty because, historically, Sindh has commanded the biggest right on the Indus.

Bilawal said whenever Sindhu river came under an attack the people of Sindh courageously came to the forefront to protect the river. "The people of Pakistan have the strength to confront Modi in the event of war," he asserted, warning the neighbouring country that yet another war may end up with Pakistan taking back all its six rivers from India.

Alluding to the battle between the two neighbouring countries in May this year, he maintained that Pakistan had not initiated that because the country believed in finding peaceful solutions to the conflicts. According to him, Pakistan's diplomats in the foreign lands also spoke about peace while those of India were adamant on war.

He said India attacked Pakistan in the dark of the night yet that country and its forces faced defeat. "The way the armed forces, especially the air force responded to the Indian attack is historic." He also appreciated the country's citizens for fighting a battle on social media to expose Modi government before the globally community and the country's diplomats for contending Pakistan's case in the global capitals.

Talking about his family's devotion to Bhitai, he stated that he felt honoured to be attending the urs celebrations for a second time. He recalled that his grandfather former Prime Minister and PPP's founding Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his mother and former PM and PPP's chairperson Benazir Bhutto and his father President Asif Ali Zardari had also visited the shrine.

Bilawal later distributed Lateef awards among the best performing artists. He also visited Bhitai's shrine to pay his respects and listened to the musical rendition of Shah Jo Ragis. Earlier, the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also addressed the awards ceremony.