Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday voiced strong disapproval of the now-suspended Indus Waters Treaty, calling it the “most unfair document” for the people of the union territory.
Speaking in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, Abdullah emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir had never supported the treaty.
Abdullah made these remarks during a meeting with tourism, trade, and industry stakeholders, as concerns grew over a possible tourist exodus following the deadly attack. A two-minute silence was observed at the gathering in memory of the victims.
“The Government of India has taken some steps. Let’s be honest—as far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we’ve never favoured the Indus Waters Treaty,” said Abdullah. “What the long-term consequences of this decision will be is yet to be seen.”
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, governed the sharing of water from the Indus River and its five tributaries between India and Pakistan. It had long been viewed by many in J&K as skewed against local interests, limiting the region’s control over its own water resources.
India formally suspended the treaty on April 23 during a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the Pakistan-backed terrorist attack in Pahalgam as the final trigger. The decision was followed by formal notification to Pakistan.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a key meeting on the matter Friday evening, along with Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil and other top officials, to deliberate on the next steps regarding the treaty.
Reacting sharply, Pakistan’s Power Minister Awais Lekhari called the suspension an “act of war”, writing on X, “India’s reckless suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is an act of water warfare—a cowardly, illegal move.”
The treaty, originally signed after nearly a decade of negotiations post the first India-Pakistan war over Kashmir, had been a rare example of sustained cooperation. Its future now remains uncertain as tensions mount between the two nations.
