A day after a war of words broke out between Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti over the former’s call to revive Tulbul Navigation Barrage project on Wullar Lake, the PDP on Saturday cautioned Jammu and Kashmir chief minister against advocating water conflict, saying such “provocations” only serve to inflame tensions.
“Omar Abdullah’s remarks invoking the Tulbul Navigation Project and the control of water flow across the border are not just ill-timed but deeply irresponsible. At a moment when peace is fragile and the ceasefire is barely holding, such provocations only serve to inflame tensions,” the PDP said in a statement.
The party said this is a “sensitive period” for the nation, and leaders must act with “maturity, not opportunism.” “PDP has never wavered from its stand – our commitment has always been to peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe Jammu & Kashmir must be a bridge of peace between the two countries, not a battleground,” it said.
The party also mentioned that the calls to scrap the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by the J&K CM are “dangerous and short-sighted.” “Our position is clear: we continue to demand fair compensation under the treaty to Jammu and Kashmir, but the IWT must not be used as a pretext for war rhetoric.
“Introducing contentious issues like the Tulbul Project or the abrogation of the IWT in today’s volatile climate only pushes both countries closer to further confrontation,” the party added.
The PDP said those in J&K advocating such positions are “undermining” the region’s stability and jeopardising the lives of people living in the border states. (Agencies)
