Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and the Valley’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday called for de-escalation in the wake of hostilities along the border.
“Children, women and the elderly are dying and getting displaced on both sides of the border. There is an urgent need for restraint. The heads of both countries should carefully consider the situation and aim for de-escalation,” Mufti said in Srinagar.
She said military action only “addresses the symptoms, not the cause of the illness. It does not guarantee a solution or peace”.
Mufti called for “political intervention” from both India and Pakistan. “I urge the leadership of both sides to stop these attacks. How long will the people living on our borders deal with this hardship? How long will mothers lose their children?” she asked.
She said that civilians on both sides of the border are paying a “huge price” for the hostilities.
Mufti was addressing the press after overnight shelling in the border areas of Kashmir led to the death of a 45-year-old woman in Uri and left three others injured. In , missile and drone attacks from Pakistan on Thursday night and early Friday were thwarted by Indian air defence.
She also referred to two children from Poonch, Ayaan and Aruba, who were killed in the first bouts of cross-border shelling in the area. “Likewise, Irtiza Abbas, a seven-year-old killed on the other side of Kashmir. They are all caught in this crossfire. What is their mistake in all of this?” she asked, breaking down while speaking to reporters.
Repeating the message that Prime Minister gave during the Russia-Ukraine war, Mufti said, “The PM had himself stated that the ‘era of war is over’ and conflicts should be handled through political interventions. If both PMs could speak to each other so that the lives of the people of J&K are not lost… “
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also stressed the need for saving lives and livelihoods of people living along the Line of Control and made an appeal for de-escalation.
“As the threat of war intensifies and the loss of precious lives continues, deep sorrow and anxiety grip our hearts. Unfortunately, whenever tensions rise between India and Pakistan, the brunt is primarily borne by the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Pointing out the loss of lives and houses along the LoC, he said people are suffering immense hardships and urged both countries to urgently de-escalate and not to tread on this “dangerous path, which can only lead to destruction”.
