By The Sampadak Express
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has strongly reiterated her party’s opposition to revoking the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), calling such a move “reckless” and likely to fuel tensions between India and Pakistan. Her remarks follow a war of words with National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the Tulbul Navigation Project and the broader implications of altering the treaty.
Mehbooba Mufti, responding to Abdullah’s indirect criticism on social media, emphasized that the PDP has never supported scrapping the IWT. “Such a move could heighten tensions and once again place J&K at the epicenter of conflict,” she posted on X. “Our resources like water must be used for life, not as weapons.”
Her comments came after Omar Abdullah shared a media report with the caption, “Just leaving this out there because ‘consistency’ is in such short supply,” in an apparent jibe at Mehbooba’s past statements.
Mufti hit back, accusing Abdullah of using the treaty for political gains. “You invoking IWT now is a reckless ploy to derail the ceasefire. There’s nothing patriotic about fueling instability,” she wrote, warning that using water as a tool of political leverage could have dangerous consequences.
Criticism Over Dam Projects
Mufti also took aim at the National Conference for its role in handing over hydroelectric projects to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). She noted that PDP has consistently opposed this and has called for the return of key power projects to Jammu and Kashmir.“
In the PDP-BJP Agenda of Alliance, it was agreed that two projects would be returned to J&K to compensate for the losses from the Indus Waters Treaty,” she added, citing media reports.
Opposition to Tulbul Project Revival
Earlier, Mufti had described Abdullah’s push to revive the Tulbul Navigation Project as “deeply unfortunate,” especially in light of recent hostilities between India and Pakistan. “Our people deserve peace as much as anyone else in the country. Weaponizing something as essential and life-giving as water is not only inhumane but also risks internationalizing what should remain a bilateral matter,” she warned.
The Tulbul Navigation Project has long been a contentious issue between India and Pakistan, with debates over its impact on the fragile peace in the region.
As political temperatures rise in Jammu and Kashmir, the exchange underscores the broader debate over how natural resources are managed in a conflict-prone area and whether strategic moves like revisiting the IWT serve the interests of peace or escalate existing tensions.
