Owaisi to Bilawal: “Your War Talk Ignores the Terror That Took Your Own Mother”

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In a stark and emotionally resonant response, Indian MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi took aim at Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his recent inflammatory comments about the Indus River. Owaisi’s message was clear: Before invoking violence over water disputes, remember the violence your own nation failed to confront—the same violence that took your own mother’s life.

Background: The Indus Treaty and Renewed Tensions

The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan with World Bank mediation, has been one of the few enduring frameworks of cooperation between the two nations. It allocates the waters of six rivers flowing from India into Pakistan, ensuring Pakistan receives a substantial share despite being downstream.

However, a recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly carried out by militants based in Pakistan, has triggered a wave of diplomatic tensions. India responded by freezing engagement with Pakistan on treaty-related mechanisms. In retaliation, Bilawal Bhutto used a political rally to launch a fiery attack on India, stating:
“Either the water flows to Pakistan, or the blood of those who try to stop it will.”

The comment, aimed at stirring nationalist sentiment within Pakistan, was met with severe criticism in India—particularly from Owaisi, who viewed it as reckless and insensitive.

Owaisi’s Response: The Personal and the Political

Asaduddin Owaisi, never one to shy away from controversial statements, delivered a powerful critique at a gathering in Hyderabad. Rather than responding with nationalist rhetoric, he chose to confront Bilawal with the reality of Pakistan’s own history of extremism.

“Bilawal Bhutto talks of blood over water,” Owaisi said. “But has he forgotten whose blood already flowed in the streets of Rawalpindi? His mother, Benazir Bhutto, was martyred not by an external enemy, not by India—but by terrorists from his own country. That is the blood he should be talking about.”

Owaisi’s statement cut through political noise to land a powerful point: that the greater threat to peace in South Asia is not India-Pakistan rivalry, but the unchecked extremism that festers within national borders.

Benazir Bhutto: Killed by the System She Sought to Change

Benazir Bhutto, a two-time Prime Minister and the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, was a symbol of democratic hope for Pakistan. Her assassination in 2007 during an election rally in Rawalpindi was a devastating blow to Pakistan’s political landscape.

While the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) claimed responsibility, the real story was more complex. Investigations pointed to serious lapses by Pakistan’s intelligence and security forces. A 2010 United Nations report condemned the Pakistani government for failing to protect her and for obstructing the investigation.

This background formed the core of Owaisi’s argument: “How can you talk of shedding blood for a river, when your country has not yet brought justice for the blood of your own leader? Before looking across the border, you must confront the failure within.”

The Danger of Militarized Rhetoric

Owaisi’s comments also served as a broader warning about the use of militarized language in political discourse. As two nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars and engaged in frequent skirmishes—often sparked by rhetoric and misinformation.

In this context, Bilawal’s remarks carried dangerous weight. “Blood for water” might rally crowds at home, but on the international stage, it risks provoking diplomatic crises or, worse, military escalation.

Owaisi emphasized this risk in his speech: “Talk like this might win you applause in Sukkur. But it brings us all closer to tragedy in Srinagar, in Lahore, in Delhi, in Karachi. Don’t play with the lives of millions for the sake of political drama.”

Rhetoric vs. Reality: Water as a Weapon?

The Indus Waters Treaty has been tested repeatedly but has survived wars and diplomatic breakdowns. Its importance lies in its technical structure and legal grounding, which separates it from broader political hostilities.

However, in recent years, leaders from both sides have occasionally floated the idea of using water as leverage. Experts warn this is a dangerous trend, as it converts a technical, environmental issue into a nationalistic flashpoint.

Environmental scholars from both countries have pointed out that cooperation on water is essential, not optional, particularly as both India and Pakistan face severe climate-related challenges, including droughts, glacial melt, and erratic monsoons.

Owaisi referenced this reality, saying:
“The battle over rivers won’t be won with threats. It’ll be won with science, conservation, and cooperation. Real leaders invest in those—others just invest in slogans.”

Public Reaction: Mixed But Thoughtful

Owaisi’s comments have been praised in some quarters for their clarity and emotional weight, particularly among Indian liberals and Pakistani dissidents who have long criticized their government’s flirtation with extremism.

However, Bilawal’s supporters in Pakistan brushed off the remarks as “meddling” by an Indian politician. Still, a few Pakistani journalists and former diplomats acknowledged the uncomfortable truth behind Owaisi’s words.

“Benazir’s death was a failure of our system,” tweeted a Pakistani political commentator. “Owaisi isn’t wrong to bring it up—it’s something we should reckon with, not run from.”

The Bigger Picture: Where Does Peace Begin?

Owaisi’s intervention in this latest Indo-Pak spat is unusual for an Indian politician, particularly one who is often critical of India’s own foreign and domestic policies. His choice to take a reflective, rather than reactive, tone suggests a desire to shift the narrative from blame to introspection.

Peace, Owaisi implied, begins not with the silencing of the other side, but with the courage to confront one’s own failings.
“Before pointing fingers at others,” he concluded, “you must first wash the blood off your own hands. Only then can you speak of justice, of rivers, and of peace.”

Conclusion: A Mirror, Not a Missile

In bringing up Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Asaduddin Owaisi held up a mirror—not just to Bilawal Bhutto, but to the entire political establishment of Pakistan. His critique was not about humiliating an opponent; it was about demanding responsibility in the face of loss, and maturity in the use of power.

As the waters of the Indus continue to flow across borders, they carry not just physical nourishment but symbolic weight. They can irrigate cooperation or flood us in conflict. The choice, as Owaisi pointed out, lies in the hands of those who lead.

Journalist Details

Jitendra Kumar

Jitendra Kumar is an Indian journalist and social activist from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh is known as the senior journalist and founder of Xpert Times Network Private Limited.