BRUSSELS: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — who is heading Pakistan’s delegation visiting world capitals to present Islamabad’s position following the recent military escalation with New Delhi — on Friday warned that undermining agreements like the Indus Waters Treaty could endanger regional peace, stressing that Pakistan exercised its right to self-defence in response to Indian aggression.
Leading a high-level delegation to Belgium, Bilawal held meetings with members of the Belgian Parliament, the Foreign Ministry, and European Union officials.
Speaking during these engagements, he said turning environmental resources into instruments of war is a dangerous precedent, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty is tantamount to disrupting peace in South Asia.
He also strongly condemned the recent Israeli strikes on Iran and urged the international community to act swiftly to prevent further escalation in the region.
“We strongly condemn the attack on Iran. Israel first targeted its neighbouring countries, committed genocide in Palestine, and now its war has reached our region.”
ایران پر حملے کی ہم سخت مذمت کرتے ہیں، اسرائیل نے پہلے اپنے ہمسایہ ممالک پر حملہ کیا، فلسطین میں نسل کشی کی اور اب ان کی یہ جنگ ہمارے خطے تک پہنچ چکی ہے۔ ہمارا مطالبہ ہے کہ عالمی دنیا امن قائم کرنے میں اپنا کردار ادا کرے۔
پاکستانی سفارتی مشن کے سربراہ چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی… pic.twitter.com/zbYdCmxaUN
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 13, 2025
In meetings with Belgian Foreign Affairs Committee Vice Chair Katleen Depoorter and members of the Senate and House of Representatives, Bilawal underlined Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace through comprehensive dialogue. He said Pakistan advocates sustainable peace and is ready to resolve outstanding disputes, including Kashmir, through negotiations.
The delegation also met Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, urging continued preferential trade for Pakistan under the GSP+ scheme to boost textile exports to European markets.
Highlighting recent developments, Bilawal stated that India was acting beyond legal norms by targeting Pakistani citizens and unilaterally attempting to undermine international agreements. He called on EU officials to press New Delhi to avoid illegal actions like suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
He welcomed Pakistan’s recent appointment to key UN committees on counter-terrorism as a diplomatic success, noting that India’s attempts to portray Pakistan as a terrorist state had been rejected by the global body.
Had an interactive discussion, along with Pakistan’s HL delegation, with the Egmont, the Royal Institute of International Relations in Brussels, where the rule of law still matters. Shared how India’s “new abnormal” under Modi justifies missile strikes and nuclear brinkmanship,… pic.twitter.com/C4bjhecAPJ
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) June 13, 2025
The delegation also met with key EU officials including Lucia Sestakova, Chief of Staff to the Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Natividad Lorenzo, Asia Cabinet Expert. They were briefed on India’s continued use of water as a weapon despite a declared ceasefire.
Bilawal noted that senior US military officials view Pakistan as a vital partner in the fight against terrorism, adding that former President Donald Trump had expressed willingness to help mediate the Kashmir issue. He urged the European Union to also play a proactive role in resolving the decades-old dispute.
He reiterated that weakening the Indus Waters Treaty would pose a grave threat to stability in South Asia and called on the global community to uphold peace and justice in the region.