Srinagar, May 10 (DD) Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has urged the Government of India to take the initiative in defusing growing tensions with Pakistan, warning that the region cannot afford another cycle of violence.
Her appeal follows the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, and the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7 by Indian armed forces in response to continued cross-border hostilities, drone incursions, and missile strikes from Pakistan.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir have long borne the cost of conflict,” Mufti said in a statement. “India, as the world’s largest democracy and an emerging global power, must show leadership through restraint, not retaliation.”
She condemned the loss of life on both sides, referencing the death of Rajouri’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Raj Kumar Thappa in recent shelling, and highlighted the growing fear among Kashmiris amid increasing detentions and security crackdowns.
Mehbooba Mufti also pointed to rising international concern, referencing comments from U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and diplomatic outreach by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Pakistan’s military. She called on New Delhi to act independently of shifting alliances and instead uphold its constitutional and democratic values.
“India must prove its strength lies not in warheads but in wisdom,” she said, adding, “retaliation only fuels the flames—we must be the ones to end the fire.”
Mufti reaffirmed her party’s commitment to “peace with dignity” and envisioned Jammu and Kashmir as a bridge of reconciliation between India and Pakistan, not a perpetual battleground.
“Let this moment mark a turning point—not toward more bloodshed, but toward a future where our children grow without the shadow of war.” (DD)