Islamabad:
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, head of a parliamentary delegation that turns world capitals to rally support in Pakistan following a recent confrontation with India, warned that Pakistan could take more aggressive measures if India builds new channels or dams on the three rivers of its territory.
“India’s threat to close the water supply to 240 million people in Pakistan is a violation of the United Nations Charter. If it was a question of acting, Pakistan was very clear: we would consider that an act of war,” he said in an interview with Sky News during his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday.
It referred to the unilateral suspension of India from the Indus Water Treaty (IWTT) after the militant attack on April 22 in the Pahalgam region of India, Jammu and the cashmere occupied illegally (iiojk).
The attack brought the two nuclear armed countries to the edge of the war with the two hostile neighbors launching missiles, drones and air strikes inside the other’s territories during a four-day conflict suddenly ended by a cease-fire announced by US President Donald Trump.
The condemned armament of water by the eastern neighbor, Bilawal said: “We cannot allow this precedent to be adjusted; we cannot armed water if they could build new channels or a new dam on the three rivers in the field of Pakistan, we must take a more aggressive step.”
Bilawal, also president of the PPP, said that Pakistan had already been at war with India and had also had many exchanges, but had never had such a radical measure.
“For the moment, the conflict threshold between India and Pakistan is the lowest it has ever been in our history. We have reached a ceasefire, but we have not reached peace.”
He declared throughout the recent climbing, Pakistan had acted with restraint and responsibility, and even today, “the message of Pakistan is that we want peace, peace by dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that there is no military solution to any of the problems between India and Pakistan”.
He said that, unfortunately, India refused to speak and that the delegation went from capital to capital, engaging with the international community, looking for their aid in this pursuit for peace.
“Pakistan thinks that there must be a dialogue and diplomacy where we discuss all questions – terrorism, cashmere or water – and start to move forward.”
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said that there was no legal mandate to suspend or hold the Water Treaty (IWT) in suspense, because in addition to Pakistan and India, he also includes international institutions as a party that requires consensus for any change.
To a question, he said that the water had not stopped flowing into Pakistan because India did not have the capacity at the moment to stop it completely, but they have delayed the release.
To a question, Bilawal told the interviewer that Pakistan had taken effective measures against terrorist groups within the framework of the Financial Action Working Group (FATF) and has been withdrawn from the Gray List of the FATF, which highlighted the approval by the International Community of Actions in Pakistan against such groups.
He said the terrorist attack on April 22 in India had nothing to do with Pakistan – produced by an indigenous group in India.
Reiterating the position of Pakistan that US President Trump deserved the merit of the Pakistani-India ceasefire, he said throughout this episode, India had engaged in disinformation and disinformation.
“They were not honest with their own audience, the media or their allies, and it is an additional thing they are not honest, they went to war on the basis of a lie, and then they could not win this war.
“They lied about the planes we killed, they lied to the details of this terrorist attack,” he said.
Bilawal said India had not appointed a single terrorist involved in this attack, reveals his identity or any information on the border crossing.
Stressing the “unique role” of the United Kingdom in the entire situation, he said that the country should encourage India to engage in dialogue with Pakistan.
“India said no to an impartial investigation when we asked for a terrorist attack. They say no to mediation, whether from the United Kingdom or the United States, and they say no to dialogue with Pakistan.
“If they are stuck in the status quo, we have lowered the conflict threshold between India and Pakistan to the point where any terrorist attack means war.”
Calling Pakistan’s commitments with the “really positive” United Kingdom, he said the British government wanted to encourage both parties to engage in dialogue to deal with all questions. “It is only the Indians who are difficult on this subject,” he said.
Meanwhile, the high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by Bilawal, engaged with eminent members of the British, university reflection group and the development of the policies of the prestigious Chatham house, one of the main reflection groups of the United Kingdom focused on questions of foreign and security policy.
The closed -door discussion took place under the “rules of the chatham house”, which is used worldwide to encourage inclusive and open dialogue.
Bilawal members and other members of the delegation have transmitted Pakistan’s perspective on the recent climbing in South Asia while seriously expressing an concern about India’s unrealing military assault that led to civilian victims and has represented a significant threat to regional stability.
They stressed that India’s actions constituted a clear violation of the sovereignty of Pakistan, international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
The Pakistani delegation said that the armed forces of Pakistan, with the full support of the inhabitants of Pakistan, had given an appropriate response to India, demonstrating the determination of Pakistan to defend its sovereignty, and counterclockwise to establish any new “normal” so-called “normal” in the region.
The delegation noted that the resolution pending the Jammu and cashmere dispute remains the main stumbling block for peace and lasting stability in the region.
They urged the international community to support a significant dialogue and to guarantee respect for international commitments and human rights.
