Srinagar, May 8 Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for immediate restraint and dialogue between India and Pakistan in the wake of the deadly escalation that has gripped the region. Responding to the recent attack in Pahalgam and rising cross-border hostilities, Mufti warned that the situation was spiralling toward catastrophe.
Terming the loss of innocent lives, including women and children on both sides, as “stark and heartbreaking,” Mufti said the conflict’s human cost can no longer be ignored. “The devastating attack in Pahalgam has pushed India-Pakistan relations dangerously close to the edge of catastrophe,” she said in a public statement.
Mufti stressed that continued military confrontation would only deepen suffering without yielding any long-term solutions. “It is painfully clear that there can be no military solution, only more suffering,” she said.
Urging both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate tensions, Mufti appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to opt for diplomacy over confrontation. “I especially appeal to the Prime Minister of India to choose dialogue to end hostilities,” she said.
She concluded her statement by asserting that peaceful coexistence and sustained engagement are the only viable paths forward. “Only through sincere and sustained efforts can we deescalate tensions and begin the hard work of restoring peace,” she said. [KNT]
