A political firestorm erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former CM Mehbooba Mufti engaged in a heated public spat over the revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project, following India’s recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.
The exchange played out prominently on social media platform X, amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Omar Calls for Project Revival Post-IWT Suspension
Omar Abdullah reignited the decades-old demand to restart the Tulbul Navigation Barrage at Wular Lake in Bandipora district, a project India halted in 2007 under pressure from Pakistan citing violations of the Indus Waters Treaty.
“With the water pact in abeyance, I wonder if we will be able to resume the Tulbul Navigation Project,” Abdullah wrote on X, sharing a video of the unfinished barrage works.
He emphasized the project’s potential to enhance navigation along the Jhelum River and boost winter-time hydropower generation in the region.
Mehbooba Mufti Slams Move as ‘Provocative’
Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti criticized Abdullah’s remarks, calling them “irresponsible and dangerously provocative” in light of the fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“Weaponising something as essential and life-giving as water is inhumane,” Mufti posted, warning that such moves risk internationalizing the issue and derailing the ceasefire.
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She said the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve peace and stability, not political grandstanding or warmongering rhetoric.
‘Trying to Please Pakistan?’ Abdullah Hits Back
Abdullah fired back, accusing Mufti of attempting to “please people sitting across the border” and of scoring “cheap publicity points.”
“I’ve always opposed the Indus Waters Treaty. It’s a historic betrayal of Jammu and Kashmir’s interests,” Abdullah said, asserting that advocating for water rights is not warmongering but about “correcting an injustice.”
The exchange escalated into personal jabs, with Mufti recalling that Sheikh Abdullah, Omar’s grandfather, once advocated for accession to Pakistan before aligning with India. She contrasted PDP’s consistent stand on Kashmir’s autonomy and resource rights with what she termed the National Conference’s shifting loyalties.
Abdullah responded dismissively, saying, “You can advocate for whoever you want, I’ll advocate for J&K’s right to use its own rivers.” He added, “I’m not going to stop the water, just use more of it for ourselves.”
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In a later post, Abdullah shared a 2016 news report where Mufti herself acknowledged the disadvantages J&K suffered under the Indus Waters Treaty, questioning her current position.
Mufti Defends Her Stand, Warns of Instability
Mufti countered that while she has acknowledged J&K’s losses under the treaty, she has never called for its revocation, stating such a move could dangerously escalate tensions.
“There’s nothing patriotic about fueling instability,” she said, stressing that resources like water should be used for life, not as weapons.
She also reminded Abdullah that the NC government handed over hydropower projects to the NHPC at throwaway prices, while the PDP consistently advocated for their return, even formalizing it in the PDP-BJP Agenda of Alliance.
The Tulbul Navigation Project, initiated in 1987, aims to regulate water flow from Wular Lake to the Jhelum River, aiding navigation and improving downstream hydroelectric output. However, Pakistan raised objections under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the usage of six shared rivers.
Under the treaty:
- India retains full control over the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi.
- Pakistan receives most of the waters of the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.
- India may construct run-of-the-river hydro projects on western rivers, but must comply with design constraints and notify Pakistan.
Following the April 6 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s military response under Operation Sindoor, India suspended the IWT on April 23, citing national security concerns.
The move has created new geo-political and legal uncertainties surrounding the treaty and its future, with J&K once again becoming a central flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations.
