SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday welcomed the Central government’s decision to put the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in abeyance in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam attack that mowed down 26 people. He further described the treaty as the “most unfair document” to the people of J&K.
“The Government of India has taken some steps. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, let’s be honest. We have never been in favour of the Indus Waters Treaty. We have always believed it to be the most unfair document to people of J&K,” Abdullah told reporters here after a meeting with various tourism, trade and industry bodies. He, however, acknowledged that the long-term implications of the move remain unknown.
The suspension of the IWT is one of the measures that India has taken in response to the horrific attack. Other steps include the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches and the immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.
When asked about the heavy toll that the April 22 attack has taken on the local tourism sector, the CM brushes off concerns about financial losses, saying, “At this juncture, we are not counting rupees or paisa. Not one of the businessmen or stakeholders in the tourism industry who attended the meeting lamented the loss of business. Not one of them expressed any concern about what would happen to them.”
“Right now, our priority is to express solidarity with the bereaved,” Omar stressed, adding, “At some point in future, we may sit down to discuss the financial implications (of the attack) on J&K’s economy. But not a single stakeholder present in the meeting raised a demand for monetary relief for the losses they are suffering.”
Omar has described the exodus of tourists from J&K triggered by the massacre as “heartbreaking”. The future of tourism in the Valley hangs in the balance as the attack has resulted in a wave of trip cancellations.