Pakistani leader mocks Indian minister with ‘Abhinandan chaiwala’ jibe

Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari referenced a captured Indian pilot from the 2019 conflict Wednesday, telling India's foreign minister "if Jaishankar is so fond of Google images he should Google this: Abhinandan chaiwala," as Pakistani diplomats continued their international outreach following last month's military confrontation.

The comment, delivered during a Pakistani diplomatic meeting in London on Wednesday, referenced Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, an Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistan during their 2019 military confrontation. The pilot was famously served tea while in Pakistani custody, with images becoming widely circulated.

Bhutto, Pakistan's former foreign minister leading a high-level delegation through world capitals, made the reference to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as part of Pakistan's diplomatic campaign to present its position on the recent May conflict.

The comment came alongside more serious warnings from the Pakistani delegation about water rights and regional security. Bhutto warned Wednesday that any Indian attempt to cut off Pakistan's water supply would constitute "an open declaration of war," referring to India's suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty.

"If India even threatens to stop water, it would be a violation of the UN resolution and this would be an open declaration of war," Bhutto said, according to statements released by his delegation during meetings with British officials.

Balancing act

The 36-year-old politician, chairman of the Pakistan People's Party and son of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has been presenting Pakistan's position to officials in Washington, New York and now London following the May 7-10 military exchanges that brought the countries closest to full-scale war in years.

Pakistan's diplomatic tour comes as both countries work to maintain a fragile ceasefire that halted their most serious military confrontation since both nations conducted nuclear tests in 1998. The May conflict began after a terrorist attack killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.

India responded with missile strikes on what it called terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, prompting Pakistani military retaliation that included reported aerial battles and the downing of Indian aircraft.

Bhutto defended Pakistan's recent military response, saying the country "took a defensive position but our forces gave a full response to aggression from India's side." He praised Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, who was promoted to Field Marshal following the conflict, calling the elevation recognition for "winning the war and according to public aspirations."

Water rights

The Pakistani delegation's messaging has focused heavily on water rights, with Bhutto warning that India's treaty suspension represents a dangerous precedent. The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates water from six rivers flowing from the Himalayas through both countries.

"India cannot suspend or end the Indus Basin project," Bhutto said, reflecting Pakistani concerns that water disputes could become a new front in their rivalry as climate change increases regional water stress.

The delegation also sought to counter Indian accusations of Pakistani involvement in the Kashmir attack, with Bhutto maintaining that "India's position and war is based on lies" and accusing India of "using terrorist organizations" to destabilize the region.

Bhutto emphasized Pakistan's desire for regional stability, saying the country "gives the message of peace" and called on President Donald Trump to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, noting that "America wants peace to be established between Pakistan and India."

The May ceasefire, which Trump claimed credit for brokering, has largely held despite occasional border violations and continued diplomatic tensions between the South Asian rivals, who have fought three wars since their 1947 partition.