"Can't Handle What They Have": Omar Abdullah's Dig At Pak PM's Kashmir Remark

Taking a jibe at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his comments that Kashmir is his country's "jugular vein" and will be part of it someday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Islamabad can't even handle what it already has.

Responding to a question on Sharif's remarks on Friday, the National Conference leader quipped, "We will be part of them? They can't handle what they already have. What will they do with us?"

Sharif had made the comments in the Assembly of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday, when the country observed what it calls 'Kashmir Solidarity Day'.

Stating that he had come to stand in solidarity with "our brothers in Kashmir on behalf of the Pakistani people and the Pakistani leadership", Sharif recalled that Mohammad Ali Jinnah had declared Kashmir as the country's "jugular vein". 

"Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan," Sharif claimed. 

India has repeatedly stated that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is, and shall forever remain" an integral part of the country.

Home Minister Amit Shah has also said in the past that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a part of India and the country will take it back. 

Indus Treaty

Replying to a question on whether keeping the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance had benefited Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said: "The treaty is in abeyance, but we haven't seen benefits yet. Ongoing projects like Ratle, Pakal Dul, and others won't see changes in design, scope, or water storage capacity due to this, so there is no impact on power generation."

The chief minister noted, however, that future projects will be less restricted. He said the construction of the Tulbul Navigation Barrage near Sopore could increase water in the Jhelum and save the  Wular lake, thus enhancing the generation capacity of downstream power projects like Uri 1 and Uri 2.

Abdullah said there are potential long-term benefits if the treaty's abeyance leads to more flexibility in water management.