‘Historic Betrayal’ or ‘Reckless Provocation’? Omar-Mehbooba Feud Reignites J&K Water War
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, May 16 : The people of Jammu and Kashmir are still recovering from the recent trauma of near-war conditions triggered by escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Missile exchanges, bombardments, and artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) claimed around 30 lives, injured dozens, and caused extensive property damage.
Amid this fragile situation, a political controversy has erupted between former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who are now locked in a bitter war of words on social media.
The dispute began when Abdullah called for reviving the Tulbul Navigation Barrage project on Wular Lake. Mufti criticized the move as “irresponsible” and “dangerously provocative,” particularly in light of the recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Abdullah hit back, accusing Mufti of dragging the debate to a “gutter level” and refusing to acknowledge that the IWT was a “historic betrayal” of Jammu and Kashmir’s interests. He alleged that her opposition stemmed from a “blind lust for cheap publicity” and a desire to “appease certain interests across the border.”
In a sharp rebuttal on social media platform X, Abdullah as per Kashmir Despatch stated:
“What is truly unfortunate is that in your blind eagerness to score cheap publicity points and appease certain factions across the border, you refuse to acknowledge that the IWT stands as one of the greatest betrayals of J&K’s interests in history.”
Reaffirming his opposition to the treaty, he added:
“I have always opposed this treaty, and I will continue to do so. Challenging an inherently unjust agreement is not ‘warmongering’—it is about rectifying a historic wrong that deprived the people of J&K of their right to utilize their own water resources.”
Earlier, Abdullah had shared a video of Wular Lake on X, highlighting the incomplete Tulbul Navigation Barrage project. He wrote:
“This is Wular Lake in North Kashmir. The structures visible in the video are part of the Tulbul Navigation Barrage, initiated in the early 1980s but halted due to pressure from Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty. Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended,’ I wonder if we can finally resume this vital project.”
He argued that completing the barrage would improve navigation on the Jhelum River and enhance power generation from downstream projects, especially during winter.
Responding on X, Mehbooba Mufti as per Kashmir Despatch condemned Abdullah’s statements as “deeply irresponsible,” stating:
“At a time when both nations have just stepped back from the brink of war—with Jammu and Kashmir once again bearing the heaviest cost in terms of innocent lives lost, destruction, and suffering—such inflammatory rhetoric is reckless.”
She stressed the need for regional stability, arguing that politicizing water—a critical resource—was inhumane and risked escalating a bilateral issue into an international dispute.
In another post, Mufti took a personal dig at Abdullah, recalling historical political shifts:
“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 after being reinstated as Chief Minister, he suddenly reversed his stance by aligning with India.”
She added: “In contrast, the PDP has consistently upheld its convictions and commitments, unlike your party, whose loyalties have shifted dramatically according to political expediency.”
Shortly after Abdullah’s post, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para retaliated on X, accusing the former Chief Minister of hypocrisy:
“This comes from a leader who once sabotaged ceasefire efforts with aggressive rhetoric, remained silent as civilians died in cross-border shelling, and whose father blamed locals for the Pahalgam incident even after the Government of India identified the actual perpetrators.”
Para further alleged: “Now he dares to accuse a former CM of ‘appeasing those across the border’? The agenda is clear—to vilify every Kashmiri advocating peace as ‘anti-national’ and perpetuate alienation from Delhi.”
The controversy follows last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty—a decades-old agreement governing water-sharing between the two nations.
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists were killed and several others were seriously injured, India and Pakistan have engaged in a series of tit-for-tat actions. India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, though Islamabad denies any involvement.
However, last week, on May 7, India claimed that its armed forces conducted precision strikes using advanced weapon systems, including loitering munitions, on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The Indian military reportedly targeted selective terror bases in Pakistan and PoK under the codename ‘Operation Sindoor’, alleging that these camps were used to orchestrate terrorist attacks.
The situation remained tense, with both countries on the brink of war until Saturday, when, in a surprise move, Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. The development was unexpected, given that the two sides had exchanged heavy fire just hours before, with India bombing airbases and key military facilities in Pakistan.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
