PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari showed that he knew that the real threat the Indus came from Indian PM Narendra Modi, not the plan to dig six canals out of the Indus. Of course, addressing a public meeting in Mirpur Khas, he also took credit for the PPP’s persuading the Council of Common Interests to rescind the decision for the canals’ construction, but he also took the opportunity to explain the threat from India. He related that as Foreign Minister he had to ward off an Indian attempt to abrogate the Indus Waters Treaty. This is further proof that the BJP government has long chafed at the restrictions on it because of the IWT. Mr Bhutto Zardari must have realized that while Punjab was stopped from constructing the canals by the CII mechanism, if India interfered in the Indus, Sindh would have no recourse except to join Punjab in demanding that Pakistan go to the last extent in defending its rights. It is also likely that Mr Bhutto Zardari’s father, President Asif Ali Zardari, would have realized this aspect of the issue. His meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that day resulted in the two leaders expressing the same resolution in defending the territory of the country against Indian aggression. Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir used his visits to summer collective exercises to deliver a very forthright message: that India would receive a ‘notch-up’ response to any misadventure. In a way, the COAS was telling the enemy that it should not expect a ‘proportionate’ response to any misadventure that might be attempted. He was therefore taking back the element of surprise that had apparently been lost when Pakistan said that it would not attack first. India now does not know what level of response to expect in reply to whatever it plans. The going ahead with the summer collecttives not only shows the refusal of Pakistan to be cowed (by cancelling the exercises), but also brings troops into position as a matter of routine. Meanwhile, efforts continued to resolve the issue by diplomacy. While the PM and Foreign Minister fielded about half a dozen calls from foreign leaders, the Pakistan Ambassador to the USA called for the root cause of Kashmir to be addressed. It seems only appropriate that the root cause of the conflict between the two countries be adrressed in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.