Key points
- Water is a humanitarian issue: Mehbooba
- India and Pakistan must de-escalate: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
- We should become a bridge of peace between India and Pakistan: PDP leader
ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri leader Mehbooba Mufti has emphasised that water should not be used as a tool of warfare, referring to India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) brokered by the World Bank in 1960.
The treaty, which has no clause related to its suspension as per legal experts, allocates the waters of six rivers between India and Pakistan. India controls the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers —Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum.
Amid tensions with Pakistan, India has been accused of manipulating the flow of the River Jhelum by cutting its flow by 90 per cent and suddenly opening the floodgates, creating a flood-like situation downstream.
“Humanitarian issue”
“It’s a humanitarian issue. This should not be used as a weapon. We should not allow the rivers of Jammu and Kashmir to be weaponised. Jammu and Kashmir should become a bridge of peace between the two countries rather than becoming [a] weapon to punish each other,” said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief in an interview in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In her earlier statement, she noted that war was not a solution to any problem, stating it only led to the loss of innocent lives on both sides.
Speaking to the media, Mufti urged sustained efforts to maintain the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“War is not a solution to any problem… War does not achieve anything… Innocent people are killed on both sides… There is a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. It should not become an incident. We have to work hard to ensure that it lasts and both countries have to invest in it,” she said.
“Avoid knee-jerk” criticism
On Tuesday, the PDP leader urged opposition parties to “avoid knee-jerk” criticism and political point-scoring over the ceasefire, calling for bipartisan support for peace efforts.
“I appeal to all the opposition parties to resist the urge for knee-jerk criticism or political point-scoring,” she said.
Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday made a passionate appeal to India and Pakistan to “de-escalate” and “work towards a permanent ceasefire.”
Delivering a customary sermon at the Jama masjid in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz highlighted the deaths in the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan and said both countries stand to lose from military confrontation.
