BARAMULLA — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday made an emotional appeal for peace along the Line of Control (LoC), calling for an end to hostilities and the revival of cross-border confidence-building measures. Speaking during a visit to Salamabad, a forward area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Mehbooba said the LoC must become a “bridge, not a battleground.”
Accompanied by senior PDP leaders including Basharat Bukhari and Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, Mufti met families displaced by recent cross-border shelling and visited GMC Baramulla to check on civilians injured in the violence. She described the humanitarian toll of the conflict as “unbearable” and stressed the need for urgent de-escalation.
“Our wounded lie in hospitals, our families huddle in shelters, our homes are reduced to rubble,” she told reporters. “This is why Kashmir cries out for peace, not war. Let our children live, not grow up under the shadow of bunkers.”
Mehbooba highlighted the plight of families forced to flee their homes overnight, saying their trauma transcends politics. “This pain is not political; it is deeply human. And it is unbearable,” she said.
In a pointed reference to recent ceasefire comments by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba said, “Ceasefire takes time. When militaries are in direct confrontation, de-escalation requires patience. But we cannot turn into a people constantly prepared for war.”
Drawing on her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s legacy, she recalled initiatives like the Srinagar–Muzaffarabad bus service and cross-LoC trade, suspended since 2019, as crucial steps in transforming the LoC from a line of separation to a “line of hope.” She strongly advocated for their revival to restore normalcy and trust.
“Kashmir cannot afford another war,” she said. “It’s time to stop turning it into a battlefield. Give peace a chance — our children’s future depends on it.”
In the wake of the recent attack in Pahalgam on April 22, Mehbooba Mufti also reiterated her call for dialogue over military response. Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the national leadership to step forward, she said, “True healing demands dialogue. Let us build a future where the children of Jammu and Kashmir can live without fear.”
Her visit ended with a stark plea, “End this war. Let Kashmir breathe.”
