Early Times Report
Jammu, May 16: A fierce war of words erupted between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti over the potential revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project, tied to the contentious Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
On Thursday, Abdullah sparked the debate with a post on X, highlighting the abandoned Tulbul Navigation Barrage on Wular Lake, halted in the 1980s due to Pakistan’s objections under the IWT. “Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended,’ I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,” Abdullah wrote, noting its potential to enhance Jhelum River navigation and boost downstream power generation, particularly in winter.
Mufti swiftly condemned Abdullah’s remarks as “dangerously provocative” in a Friday morning X post. “At a time when both countries have just stepped back from the brink of a full-fledged war—with Jammu and Kashmir bearing the brunt through the loss of innocent lives—such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative,” she stated. Mufti argued that weaponizing water risks escalating tensions and internationalizing a bilateral issue, urging peace for the region’s people.
Abdullah hit back, accusing Mufti of seeking “cheap publicity” and appeasing “people sitting acr The heated exchange escalated with Omar accusing Mehbooba of appeasing Pakistan, while Mehbooba hit back by invoking the political legacy of Omar’s grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah.
Mufti retaliated by invoking Abdullah’s grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, founder of the National Conference. She claimed Sheikh Abdullah advocated for accession to Pakistan for over two decades before aligning with India upon regaining power. “The PDP has consistently upheld its convictions, unlike your party, whose loyalties have shifted according to political expediency,” Mufti posted, defending her party’s stance.
Abdullah dismissed Mufti’s attack as “cheap shots” at a leader she herself had praised as Kashmir’s tallest. “I’ll rise above the gutter you want to take this conversation to,” he wrote, pledging to continue advocating for Jammu and Kashmir’s right to use its rivers. “I’m not going to stop the water, just use more of it for ourselves,” he added, before signing off to focus on “real work.”
The exchange underscores deep political divisions in Jammu and Kashmir, with the IWT and regional water rights remaining a flashpoint amid India-Pakistan tensions. |
