Union Minister Hardeep Puri on Saturday sharply responded to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's provocative “blood” remark, saying that without water following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the Pakistani leader would not even be able to jump.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while speaking at a public meeting in Sukkur, Sindh province on Friday, warned India of bloodshed if the Indus Waters Treaty was not upheld. “I would like to tell India that the Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either water will flow from this river, or their blood will flow,” Zardari declared.
His comments came after India decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, most of them tourists.
Reacting to Zardari’s statement, Hardeep Puri remarked that such threats do not deserve serious attention and criticised them as foolish. Speaking to news agency, he said, “I saw he said that if water is not given, blood will flow. Tell him to spill his own blood somewhere by jumping. But, if he doesn’t get water, where will he even jump? This is a foolish statement of his.”
Puri also referred to another Pakistani leader, Sherry Rehman, noting that she too had made similar irresponsible remarks. “There is no need to dignify them,” he added.
The Union Minister stressed that the Pahalgam attack was an act of terrorism backed by Pakistan. He stated that it was not an isolated event, but part of a long pattern of cross-border terrorism actively supported by a neighbouring country.
“What happened in Pahalgam is a terrorist attack; there should be no misunderstanding about it. These are cross-border terrorists, unleashed by a neighbouring state... And they themselves are taking responsibility,” said Puri.
He further pointed out that Pakistan’s own defence minister had acknowledged such activities over the past two decades. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm stance, Puri said that Pakistan would ultimately have to pay a heavy price for continuing to support terror.
“The Prime Minister has made it clear that Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price once and for all,” he asserted.
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