'IWT one of biggest betrayals': Abdullah hits back at Mufti over her stand on Indus waters Treaty

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Friday (May 16) Omar Abdullah ripped into People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti after the latter spoke out against the reinstatement of the Tulbul Navigation Project.

Abdullah also slammed the opposition leader for ignoring how the Indus Waters Treaty, which has now been held in abeyance following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, has historically betrayed the interests of J&K.

Abdullah’s remarks came after Mufti criticised the CM’s appeal for resuming work on the Tulbul Navigation Project, calling it “deeply irresponsible."

“Actually what is unfortunate is that with your blind lust to try to score cheap publicity points and please some people sitting across the border, you refuse to acknowledge that the IWT has been one of the biggest historic betrayals of the interests of the people of J&K," said Abdullah in an X post.

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Actually what is unfortunate is that with your blind lust to try to score cheap publicity points & please some people sitting across the border, you refuse to acknowledge that the IWT has been one of the biggest historic betrayals of the interests of the people of J&K. I have… https://t.co/j55YwE2r39

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 16, 2025

Mufti clapped back by alleging that Omar Abdullah’s grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, once advocated joining Pakistan after he was ousted from power.

“But post being reinstated as Chief Minister he suddenly reversed his stance by aligning with India. In contrast the PDP has consistently upheld its convictions & commitments & unlike your party whose loyalties have shifted dramatically according to political expediency,” she wrote on X.

“We don’t need to stoke tensions or adopt warmongering rhetoric to validate our dedication. Our actions speak for themselves,” the PDP leader added.

Time will reveal who seeks to appease whom. However, it’s worth recalling that your esteemed grandfather Sheikh Sahab once advocated for accession to Pakistan for over two decades after losing power. But post being reinstated as Chief Minister he suddenly reversed his stance by… https://t.co/2jSBku731K

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 16, 2025

What’s the issue regarding Tulbul project and the Indus Waters Treaty

The National Conference leader supported restarting the Tulbul Navigation project after India paused the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Abdullah stated that this project would let the people of Jammu and Kashmir use Jhelum River water for navigation and boost power generation in the tough winter months. He had earlier criticised the World Bank-brokered treaty as being very unfair to the people of the new union territory.

“The Wular lake in North Kashmir. The civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was started in the early 1980s but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty. Now that the IWT has been “temporarily suspended” I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,” Abdullah wrote on X while posting a video of the river.

The Wular lake in North Kashmir. The civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was started in the early 1980s but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty. Now that the IWT has been “temporarily suspended” I… pic.twitter.com/MQbGSXJKvq

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 15, 2025

Mufti reacted to the proposal, calling it very unfortunate, especially at a time when ‘India and Pakistan had just avoided a full-scale war’.

“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, widespread destruction and immense suffering such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative. 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,” the PDP leader wrote on X.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s call to revive the Tulbul Navigation Project amid ongoing tensions between India & Pakistan is deeply unfortunate. 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… https://t.co/LZrVAhIukQ

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 16, 2025