• Modi blamed for false terrorism accusations.
• Pakistan united against India’s treaty violation.
• Bilawal hails peaceful struggle as victorious.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday that just as the PPP did not allow a controversial canal project sans consensus, Pakistanis will stand united and give a resounding response to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggression on the Indus River.

Condemning India’s unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), he issued a stern warning to New Delhi, saying: “The Indus is ours and will remain ours — either our water will flow through it, or their blood.”

Addressing a public gathering in Sukkur, he congratulated the people and said it was the success of their peaceful struggle that the federal government had decided that no canal would be built on the Indus without consensus in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

He further said an agreement had been reached between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), bearing the signatures of leaders from both parties.

“It is now the official policy of the Government of Pakistan that no new canals will be built without mutual consent of all provinces.”

He paid tribute to the PPP workers for their struggle against the controversial project, saying it would not have been possible had the Jiyalas not taken to the field.

“I had promised that we would protect Sindh — and today, Sindh has been safeguarded from these threats. This is your victory,” he added.

Shedding light on his recent meeting with the prime minister and the matters agreed upon during the discussions, he pointed out that it had been decided that the federal government would put the project before the CCI.

He pointed out that the CCI was comprised of representatives from the federation as well as all provinces, and prior to this agreement, decisions on the construction of new canals could have been made based on majority votes, even without the consent of the people.

“But we are grateful to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who listened to your (the people’s) concerns, and now the majority parties in the Council — the PMLN and PPP — have agreed that no new canal will be constructed without your consent,” he said.

The joint declaration, he said, mentions that the federal government had agreed to immediately convene a meeting of the CCI, and any project lacking consensus will be referred back to the ministries concerned.

He emphasised that the agreement made with him, endorsed by the prime minister and the federal government, had once again clearly affirmed that all the provinces had rightful claims over water and that both the 1991 Water Accord and 2018 Water Policy were based on mutual consensus.

Modi’s bid to ‘hide his own failures’

Addressing the nation, Bilawal said the Indus was once again under attack — this time by India.

He said a terrorist incident took place in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), which New Delhi falsely blamed on Pakistan.

He reiterated that Pakistan strongly condemned terrorism, being the country most affected by it.

He said in an attempt to hide his own failures, Modi levelled false accusations against Pakistan concerning the incident in IIOJK, and subsequently announced the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

He said just as his party raised its voice for the Indus in the streets and cities across the country and convinced the federal government not to proceed with new canals, “We will now struggle once again.”

“The people of Pakistan are brave — we will stand up to India with full force, and our armed forces will give a befitting response at the borders.”

He further said it was unacceptable for India to simply decide one day it no longer recognised the Indus Waters Treaty and expected that to become a reality.

“Such a decision will neither be accepted at the international level nor by the people of Pakistan.”

He urged the nation to unite in this difficult time and give a befitting response to India, which currently has set its eyes maliciously on the Indus.

He said the struggle to protect the river will continue until India withdraws its unilateral decision. He affirmed that the PPP stood with Prime Minister Shehbaz on the issue of India.

Bilawal also announced that the PPP will hold a grand public gathering in Mirpurkhas on May 1.