Omar Accuses Mehbooba Mufti of ‘Pleasing Some Across Border’
J&K CM Omar Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti (Image credit X.com)
Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Clash Over Tulbul Navigation Project Amid Indus Waters Treaty Abeyance
By Amit Kumar
NEW DELHI, May 16, 2025 – India-Pakistan conflicts deepened political divide in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Chief Minister of (J&K) Omar Abdullah has accused his predecessor and Opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti of criticizing Tulbul Navigation project for “pleasing some people across the border”.
A public spat erupted between Abdullah and Mufti, over the revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project. They sparred over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), and decision of the government to put in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Abdullah is advocating resumption of the project. Mufti, however, has labeled Abdullah’s stance as “irresponsible and dangerously provocative,” warning against the risks of escalating conflict over water resources.
Abdullah’s comments on X were direct and pointed. Responding to Mufti’s criticism, he wrote, “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.”
Abdullah had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Pahalgam terror attack. Modi in his speech at the Indian Air Force Face at the Anandpur had said that “water and blood will not flow together”.
“I have always opposed this treaty & I will continue to do so. Opposing a blatantly unfair treaty is in no way, shape, size or form warmongering, it’s about correcting a historic injustice that denied the people of J&K the right to use our water for ourselves,” wrote Abdullah.
The Chief Minister, while hailing from the National Conference, has consistently been opposed to the Indus Water Treaty. Mufti, who is accused to be soft on separatists in the Kashmir valley, seems concerned that suspending the water treaty may embroil India and Pakistan into violent clashes, which can bring J&K into the crosshairs.
Abdullah elaborated on the project’s potential benefits by sharing a video on X, stating, “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, he asked. “It will give us the advantage of allowing us to use the Jhelum for navigation. It will also improve the power generation of downstream power projects, especially in winter,” added the J&K CM.
Mufti, on the other hand, expressed strong reservations about Abdullah’s timing and approach. In a post on X, she stated, “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 through the loss of innocent lives, widespread destruction and immense suffering—such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative.”
She said that “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.”
Background on Indus Waters Treaty Abeyance
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, has been a cornerstone of water-sharing arrangements in the region, allocating the waters of the Indus River system. However, following a series of escalating tensions, including a terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, India announced the temporary suspension of the treaty on May 1, 2025.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that the suspension would remain in effect “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
This move was part of a broader set of diplomatic actions, including the closure of the Attari border post, cancellation of visas, and expulsion of Pakistani personnel from India.
The suspension of the IWT has significant implications for Jammu and Kashmir, where water resources are critical for agriculture, power generation, and navigation. The Tulbul Navigation Project, located on the Wular Lake, was initiated in the early 1980s to construct a barrage that would regulate water flow for navigation and improve downstream power generation, particularly during winter months when water levels are low.
However, the project was halted in 1987 due to objections from Pakistan, which argued that it violated the IWT. The barrage, if completed, would allow the Jhelum River to be used for navigation and enhance the efficiency of power projects.
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