In a sharp escalation of rhetoric against India, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has issued a veiled war threat over the Indus Water Treaty and Operation Sindoor, warning that Islamabad may be forced to “consider all options” — including military action — if India continues its current trajectory.

Speaking at a cultural event in Sindh on Monday, Bhutto alleged that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has caused “great damage” to Pakistan, and urged the nation to “unite against Modi’s aggression.”

Bhutto’s Warning: “We Won’t Bow Down”

“If India continues to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, we will have no choice but to consider war,” Bhutto declared, claiming that Pakistanis were “strong enough” to fight and reclaim “all six rivers.”

He added:

“We did not start the war. But if you think of carrying out an attack like Sindoor again, then know that every province of Pakistan is ready. This is a war that you will definitely lose.”

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Pakistan Army Chief’s Nuclear Threat Echoes

Bhutto’s remarks come just a day after Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir issued a chilling nuclear threat, saying:

“We are a nuclear nation. If we are going down, we’ll take half the world with us.”

Munir also threatened to destroy Indian infrastructure on the Indus River with “10 missiles,” claiming the river system is not India’s “family property.” He accused India of weaponising water resources, warning that millions in Pakistan risk starvation if the Indus Water Treaty collapses.

India’s Response: “Nuclear Blackmail Won’t Work”

India reacted strongly to Munir’s remarks, calling the nuclear sabre-rattling Pakistan’s ‘stock-in-trade’ and warning the international community about the risks of unstable nuclear command in Islamabad.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement:

“Such remarks reinforce well-held doubts about the integrity of Pakistan’s nuclear command, where the military is in deep nexus with terrorist outfits. India will not yield to nuclear blackmail and will take every step to protect its national interests.”

It also condemned that the comments were made from “the soil of a friendly third country,” suggesting the remarks were made during a foreign visit.

Operation Sindoor & Indus Treaty Fallout

The tensions follow the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which India launched Operation Sindoor, reportedly targeting militant camps across the Line of Control. Following this, New Delhi has indefinitely suspended the Indus Water Treaty, a 1960s agreement mediated by the World Bank governing the shared use of the Indus River system.

What’s At Stake?

• The Indus Water Treaty, considered a rare example of India-Pakistan cooperation, is under severe strain.
• Pakistan sees water control as a national security issue; India frames it as retaliatory leverage against cross-border terrorism.
• The escalation of war rhetoric is triggering global concern over the potential for armed conflict between two nuclear states.