New Delhi:
A public spat broke between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his predecessor Mehboba Mufti on social media on social media on Friday, as the government was later accused of adopting the “provision” measures to the government amid tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, Mr. Abdullah alleged that Ms. Mufti was trying to score “cheap publicity points” and “please” in Pakistan by opposing the idea.
The Tulbul Navigation Project – which wants to rejuvenate the Jhelum -Fed Wular Lake in Bandipora district – was closed in 1987, but in 2007, there was a halt between the objections from Pakistan that it violated the Indus Water Treaty. The treaty with India was suspended on 23 April, a day after the Pahgam terror attack, Mr. Abdullah on Thursday called for a re -starting work in the project at Wular Lake.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister said that since the water agreement with Pakistan has been suddenly laid, “I wonder if we will be able to resume the project”.
He said, “The Wular Lake in North Kashmir. The video you have seen in the video Tulbul navigation barrage. It was started in the early 1980s, but had to leave under the pressure of Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty.”
Wular lake in North Kashmir. The civil work you see in the video is Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was launched in the early 1980s, but had to leave under the pressure of Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty. Now that IWT is “temporarily suspended” … pic.twitter.com/mqbgsxjkvq
– Umar Abdullah (@omarabdullah) May 15, 2025
The leader of the National Conference said that if it is completed, the Tulbal project can help using the Jhelum River for navigation purposes. He said, “This will give us the benefit of allowing us to use Jhelum for navigation. It will also improve power generation of downstream power projects, especially in winter,” he said.
Under the Indus Water Treaty, which controls six common rivers, all the water of the eastern rivers – Sutlage, Beas, and Ravi have been allocated to India for an unrestricted use of about 33 million acres of (MAF). Western rivers water – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – an amount of about 135 MAFs annually has been assigned to Pakistan on a large scale.
Mehboba Mufti Slam ‘Non -Grievable’ demand
However, Ms. Mufti made a scary attack on Mr. Abdullah and labeled her call as “irresponsible and dangerous stimulating”.
The Chief Minister’s call to revive the Tulbal navigation project amid tensions between India and Pakistan is “deeply unfortunate”, he said in a post on X. “At a time when the two countries have stepped back from the verge of a complete war -not -doctors along with Jammu and Kashmir, dangerously stimulating through detention,” she said.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief said that the people of the union region are worthy of peace like someone else in the country. He said, “Some weapons that are essential and lifeless as water are not only inhuman, but also risk what a bilateral case should be,” he said.
J&P Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s call is deeply unfortunate to revive the Tulbul Navigation Project amid tensions between India and Pakistan. At a time when the two countries have stepped back from the verge of a complete war-with silence with Mamu and Kashmir … https://t.co/lzrvahiukq
– Mehboba Mufti (@mehboobamufti) May 16, 2025
“She is trying to campaign cheap”
The remarks of the former Chief Minister reacted to Mr. Abdullah, who accused him of trying to “please some people across the border”.
“What is really unfortunate is that you try to score cheap propaganda points with your blind lust and some people are sitting across the border, you refuse to accept that IWT J&K has been one of the biggest historical betrayal of the interests of the people of J&K,” he said.
He said, “I have always opposed this treaty and I will continue to do so. Opposing a clearly inappropriate treaty is not in any way, shape, size or form, it is about correcting a historical injustice that people of Jammu and Kashmir denied the right to use our water for themselves,” he said.
In fact, what is unfortunate is that you try to score cheap propaganda points with your blind lust and some people are sitting across the border, you refuse to accept that IWT has been one of the biggest historical betrayal of the interests of the people of J&K. I have… https://t.co/j55ywe2r39
– Umar Abdullah (@omarabdullah) May 16, 2025
“Time will appear …”: Mehboba Mufti
The time will tell who appeals to whom, Ms. Mufti said in response, because the exchange between the two politicians continued. He said, “However, it is worth remembering that your respected grandfather Sheikh Saheb once advocated entry into Pakistan for more than two decades after losing power. But after being restored as Chief Minister, he suddenly reversed his stand with India and reversed his stand,” he said.
On the contrary, he said, PDP has continuously retained its culprits and commitments, unlike the neck, whose loyalty has been dramatically transferred according to the political campaign.
He said, “We do not need to reduce stress or adopt warming rhetoric to validate our dedication. Our tasks speak for ourselves,” he said.
Time will tell who appeals to whom. However, it is worth remembering that your respected grandfather Sheikh Saheb once advocated entry into Pakistan for more than two decades after losing power. But the post is being restored as the Chief Minister, he suddenly reversed his stand … https://t.co/2jsbku731k
– Mehboba Mufti (@mehboobamufti) May 16, 2025
Omar Abdullah says, taking cheap shots
Mr. Abdullah told Ms. Mufti that she can “advocate the interests of any person, and I would continue to advocate the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to use my rivers for my benefit”.
“Is it really the best that you can do? Taking cheap shots on a person you have called the tallest leader of Kashmir yourself. I will rise above the gutter that you want to take this conversation out of Late Mufti Sahib and ‘North Pol South Poll’,” he said.
He said, “I am not going to stop the water, just use it more for myself. Now I think I will do some real work and you can keep posting,” he said.
Can you really do the best? To take cheap shots on the person whom you have called the tallest leader of Kashmir himself. I will rise above the gutter that you want to take this conversation out of Late Mufti Sahib and “North Pol South Pol”. You keep advocating … https://t.co/r6wgl2o4tl
– Umar Abdullah (@omarabdullah) May 16, 2025
What is Indus Water Treaty
- India and Pakistan signed the Indus Water Treaty after nine -year conversation on 19 September 1960, with a signator for the World Bank Treaty.
- The treaty determines a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two sides on the use of water of rivers across the border.
- Under the agreement controlling six common rivers, all the water of the eastern rivers – Sutlase, Beas, and Ravi have been allocated to India for an annual use of about 33 million acres of (MAF).
- Western rivers water – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – an amount of about 135 MAFs annually has been assigned to Pakistan on a large scale.
- According to the treaty, India has been empowered to generate hydroelectrics through the run of river projects on western rivers under specific criteria for design and operation.
- The treaty gives Pakistan the right to increase objections on the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on Western rivers.
- The treaty warns two commissioners to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, a meeting to be held in New Delhi in March 2020 was canceled in view of the Kovid -19 epidemic.
- The provisions of the treaty can be amended by a properly followed treaty for that purpose between two governments from time to time.
- The treaty was signed under the leadership of the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan.
Indo-Pak relations deteriorate
The relationship between India and Pakistan, which took a Noseive with the dismissal of Article 370 in J&K in August 2019, worsened after shooting and killing 26 tourists in Pahgam on 22 April.
The attack was one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The resistance front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan -based Late Terror Group, claimed responsibility.
In vengeance, India launched Operation Sindore on the night of 7 and 8 May, and destroyed the infrastructure in nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan -occupied Kashmir (POK). Operation increased bilateral tension as it led to attacks and counter-strikes between the two countries.
On May 10, India and Pakistan arrived on an agreement to prevent all firing and military action on land, air and sea from 5 pm. However, Pakistan violated the agreement that it was within a few hours of implementation.
Ops against Pakistan will depend on their behavior: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the country in his first address, ever since the struggle broke out, has been kept in the abhaya only and the future will depend on their behavior.
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India’s relations and behavior with Pakistan would be strictly “bilateral”, which has been a national consent for many years and there is no “change” in that consensus.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday alleged that Pakistan started reconstructing the terrorist infrastructure which was destroyed in attacks by Indian forces. He said that Operation Sindoor proved that the Indian forces are capable of reaching every corner of Pakistan.
He also said that India would like to reconsider the International Monetary Fund to Pakistan’s assistance of USD 1 billion.
