Bilawal Bhutto calls for peace with India days after 'blood in Indus' threat

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has dramatically shifted his stance towards India, just days after warning of bloodshed over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Speaking at Pakistan's National Assembly on Tuesday, Bhutto extended an olive branch, urging India to pursue peace with "open hands and not clenched fists."

The appeal for dialogue follows a string of hostile statements issued by Bhutto in late April, where he warned India of dire consequences should it block the waters of the Indus River. "The Indus is ours, and the Indus will remain ours—whether water flows in this Indus or their blood," he had said during a rally in Sukkur on April 25.

The change in tone comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. In response, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, downgraded diplomatic ties, and shut the land border at Attari.

Despite Bhutto’s renewed call for peace, his address carried undertones of defiance. “Let them remember that the people of Pakistan are not made to kneel… We do not love conflict, but we love freedom,” he added, suggesting that Pakistan's willingness to talk should not be mistaken for weakness.

Bhutto’s aggressive rhetoric drew widespread backlash, not only from Indian officials but also from global observers. His inflammatory “blood in the river” comment even led to his social media account being suspended on platform X, where he had echoed the same threatening language.

The latest comments may be an attempt to rebuild diplomatic bridges amid growing isolation and criticism of Pakistan’s role in cross-border tensions. Whether the Indian government will respond to this overture remains to be seen, especially in light of the recent terror attacks and the public outrage that followed.