Bilawal warns Pakistan-India war threshold at ‘historic low’

Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday warned that the threshold for war between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan had "never been lower" following last month’s military standoff. In an interview with Sky News in London, he expressed concern that tensions between the two rivals remain dangerously high, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump on May 10. “At the moment, the threshold for conflict between India and Pakistan is the lowest than it’s ever been in our history,” he said. “We’ve achieved the ceasefire, but we have not achieved peace as it stands today.” The confrontation was sparked by a deadly terrorist attack in Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 tourists. India blamed the assault on Pakistan-based groups, a claim Islamabad strongly denied, calling for an impartial international investigation. Over four days, the two sides exchanged missile strikes, drone attacks and engaged in air combat, raising fears of a full-scale war under a nuclear overhang. The crisis eventually prompted international intervention aimed at de-escalation. Bilawal cautioned that another attack—regardless of proof—could immediately trigger war. “If there’s a terrorist attack anywhere in India or IIOJK, proof or no proof, that means war,” he said. “That’s not a tenable situation.” He reiterated Pakistan’s call for dialogue and diplomacy to address all outstanding issues, including terrorism, Kashmir, and water disputes. He also criticised India’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying that delayed water releases by New Delhi could harm Pakistan’s agriculture. Any attempt to build new infrastructure on Pakistan-allocated rivers would be viewed as aggression. “Even a week’s delay in water supply can destroy crops,” he said. “That would be war.” Dismissing Indian accusations of Pakistani complicity in the Kashmir attack, Bilawal said no credible evidence had been presented. “They went to war with a nuclear power and still cannot name a single terrorist involved,” he said. He defended Pakistan’s counterterrorism record, highlighting the country’s removal from the FATF grey list under his tenure as proof of progress. Bilawal is currently leading a diplomatic mission across several world capitals to present Pakistan’s stance following the conflict. The delegation has held meetings with United Nations representatives, member states, and US officials, and is continuing engagements in London.

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