Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday condemned the US attack on Iran’s nuclear installations which was based on false claims of Israel that Tehran was close to developing nulcear weapons.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly here, he said that Israel assaulted the sovereignty of Iran which is a violation of international law. “Iran’s sovereignty should not be challenged under any circumstances,” he added.
“We condemn the US attack on Iran. The attack was based on baseless accusations which have been made against Iran for years.”
Israel continuously accused Iran of making nuclear weapons whereas Tehran clarified that its programme was peaceful.
Bilawal, who is also chairman of People’s Party (PPP), said Israel did not dare attack Iran’s military leadership in the battlefield.
He continued, “Iranian leadership and journalists were targeted. The attack on Iran’s nuclear installations was extremely costly. This act endangered the lives of people across the region. Such attacks are a violation of international law. Even the United Nations Security Council condemned the US attack on Iran.”
Bilawal said “Israel is dragging America into a war. The American people do not support it. After Gaza, Iraq, and Lebanon, now they are targeting Iran. If we do not speak out now, no one will speak out when they come for us. The Iran-Israel conflict must be resolved with wisdom and patience.”
He said if there had been any leak after the attack on [Iran’s] nuclear installations, the entire region would have been at risk.
‘INDIA ABIDE BY INDUS TREATY OR GET READY FOR WAR’
Talking about the regional situation, Bilawal stated that India must abide by the Indus Waters Treaty or be prepared for war. “If we have to fight a war over water, we will win the next war as well,”
He said that after the Pulwama terror incident, India talked about terminating the Indus Waters Treaty. Delhi threatened to stop Pakistan’s water under the treaty which is a violation of international laws. “If our water is stopped, we will have no choice but to go to war. Our armed forces and air force are fully prepared.”
The former minister said India now has two options: either accept the treaty or face consequences. If India violates the treaty, we will reclaim all six rivers for our people.
Bilawal slammed India for attempting to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state and to block Islamabad from securing the IMF package.
“But Pakistan emerged victorious on every front, and India lost. We presented our stance at the United Nations, and I salute our Foreign Ministry and diplomats for their efforts,” he continued.
Bilawal also remarked that a “cheap copy of [Benjamin] Netanyahu” exists in our region as well, a possible reference to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We defeated that copy in warfare, diplomacy, and narrative. Everywhere we went, we presented Pakistan’s case. Representatives of the copy tried to follow us but Allah granted Pakistan military and diplomatic success.”
The former foreign minister stated that “peace in the region is vital for the people of both countries.”
He said that Pakistan “clearly presented our stance on the Kashmir. Even during the PTI government, India showed aggression. The PTI founder once said during his tenure, ‘What should I do, start a war with India?’”
Bilawal said, “This time, Pakistan did not fear or bow down. We fought a war with India and won. We shot down six of their aircraft.”
He challenged India for calling “Kashmir an internal matter” and said it has been an international issue.
“India used to say Kashmir is an internal matter, but they have now backed off from that position. I hope we will continue our struggle and, God willing, secure justice for the people of Kashmir,” he stated.
Bilawal stated that President Trump himself invited Field Marshal Asim Munir. “You can listen to President Donald Trump’s statements made after the lunch yourself.”
APPRECIATES BUDGET
Speaking on the federal budget, he commended the finance minister claiming that “inflation is not increasing.”
He thanked the prime minister and the finance minister for giving “a historic relief to the salaried class, raising salaries of government servants by 10 percent and pension by seven percent in this budget.”
He called for giving southern Punjab its rightful share in the PSDP (Public Sector Development Programme).
He urged the government to provide special support to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan who are on the frontlines of the fight against terrorism. “The people of these provinces are the most affected by terrorism, but the kind of support we expected for them in the budget was not provided.”
Bilawal called agriculture “backbone of our economy, but our current policies are breaking this backbone. Extraordinary investment is needed in agriculture. Provincial governments have been forced, using the IMF as leverage. Agricultural taxes have been raised sharply and suddenly — where are the farmers supposed to go?”
“We are facing losses due to our own policies — these are medium- and long-term damages that must be reviewed. We must answer to the farmers. Right now, their economic murder is underway. An agricultural emergency must be declared. To save the economy, we must come together and provide relief to farmers.”
“We spend Pakistan’s taxpayers’ money and then import crops from Ukraine — the government must reconsider its decisions.”
He expressed displeasure at tax on solar cells. “The government initially planned to impose nearly 20% tax on solar energy. PPP representatives strongly objected to this. In the areas we are elected from, there is 16-hour load shedding. People are forced to use solar energy. The tax on solar has now been reduced to 10%.”
He criticised the PTI for ignoring calls for dialogue and urged the leadership to raise people’s issues.
Bilawal said Pakistan’s case on the Indus Waters Treaty must be strengthened, not weakened. “No action should be taken in Pakistan that sends a message of concession to India who is signalling that it may construct canals or dams.”
“We are already facing water scarcity. We must move from flood irrigation to smart irrigation. In many parts of the world, water is valued so highly that even a single drop is accounted for. Through smart irrigation, we can deliver water to remote areas like Cholistan and Thar.”