‘J&K should be a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan': Mehbooba Mufti

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and not a theatre of war.
Addressing party workers in Srinagar, Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir has always borne the brunt of war and violence, according to PTI news agency.
'The PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of people. We must end the spectre of war so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy,' Mufit was quoted as saying by PTI. 'Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of understanding, friendship and cooperation, not a theatre of war.'
She also reacted to calls for intensified military action against Pakistan from Kashmiri leaders, saying that such statements reflect a dangerous mindset.
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'When the Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance by the government of India, it was (Jammu and Kashmir) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who hailed the move and even advocated for an immediate halt to water supplies to Pakistan,' she said.
"We may have political differences with the government of Pakistan, but not with its people. It is saddening that such remarks are being made by the leader of the only Muslim-majority state in the country," she added, according to PTI.
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Mufti also warned against the "rising tide of war rhetoric" that, according to her, continues to impact the people of the region.
"These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. It is, however, only the PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity," she said.
Operation Sindoor was India's direct military response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in what was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes.
India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes – which killed at least 100 terrorists – sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels.
In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.