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AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s controversial remark, “our blood will flow” in response to India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. Owaisi, the Member of Parliament from Hyderabad, questioned Bhutto’s understanding of terrorism and pointed out the tragic losses in his own family.
Bilawal Bhutto, who served as Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Minister until 2023, made the provocative statement during a rally where he expressed defiance over India’s decision to halt the Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement that governs the sharing of river waters between the two countries. Bhutto stated, “The Indus is ours and will remain ours – either our water will flow through it, or their blood.” His remarks were in response to India’s diplomatic retaliation following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri man.
Reacting to the statement, Owaisi delivered a stinging rebuke, saying, “Forget about such childish talk. Does Bilawal even know what happened to his own family? Who killed his mother and grandfather?” The AIMIM leader was referring to the tragic assassination of Bilawal’s mother, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and his grandfather, former President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Owaisi added, “Bilawal should reflect on who killed his mother. It was terrorism that killed her, and terrorism continues to harm us too. How can you speak so flippantly about bloodshed when terrorism took your loved ones?” He further criticized Bhutto’s remarks as irresponsible and unfounded, questioning his ability to lead without foreign assistance.
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Rawalpindi on December 30, 2007, an attack blamed on extremist groups, including al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants. The case remains unsolved, and the tragedy continues to haunt her family.
In his response, Owaisi also condemned Pakistani leaders who have threatened India with nuclear retaliation, urging them to reconsider their aggressive stance. “Terrorism is terrorism, no matter where it comes from. If you enter another country and kill innocents, no nation will stay silent, regardless of who is in power,” Owaisi stated. “The terrorists who target us are worse than those who call themselves true followers of Islam. They are ISIS sympathizers.”
Owaisi’s remarks echo a broader frustration within India over Pakistan’s provocative rhetoric and persistent threats. Several Indian political leaders have condemned Bilawal Bhutto’s statement. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri advised the Pakistani leader to “get his mental condition checked,” while Congress MP Shashi Tharoor labeled the comments as “inflammatory.” Tharoor also warned, “The Pakistanis need to understand that they cannot kill Indians with impunity. If blood is going to flow, it will flow more on their side than ours.”
Bilawal Bhutto’s statement, made in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, has intensified tensions between the two neighboring countries. Both India and Pakistan have continued to trade barbs in the wake of the deadly incident, which has further strained bilateral relations.
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