Mehbooba Mufti Led Delegation Visits Salamabad to Enquire into Well-being of Families Affected by Cross Border Shelling

Srinagar: Former Chief Minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday visited Salamabad near the Line of Control (LoC) – an epicenter of displacement, grief, and resilience – to enquire about well-being of people affected by recent cross-border shelling.

Accompanied by senior PDP leaders including Basharat Bukhari, MLA Pulwama Waheed ur Rehman Para, District President Rafiq Rather, and DDC member Razia, Mehbooba met families forced into relief camps by relentless cross-border shelling.

Standing among children in tin-roofed shelters, she, as per a statement issued to Alfaaz – The Words, delivered an passionate plea, “These children are not waiting for revenge they are waiting for peace. End the war. Let them live.”

Mehbooba’s visit, the statement reads, underscores a powerful call for peace, echoing the visionary legacy of her father, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who transformed the LoC from a battle line into a bridge of hope through groundbreaking confidence-building measures.

Earlier in the day, the PDP Chairperson visited GMC Baramulla to enquire about civilians injured in recent shelling, offering support and pressing the administration to ensure their proper care and rehabilitation. “Our wounded lie in hospitals. Our families huddle in shelters. Our homes are reduced to rubble. This is why Kashmir cries out for peace, not war,” she said.

“Those who beat the drums of war don’t hear our children weep. They don’t see our parents breaking under the weight of fear and loss. We need homes, not bunkers. We want our children to grow not be buried. The war-mongering must stop.”

Reflecting on her visit to the LoC near Uri, she added, “I met families who fled their homes overnight with nothing but trauma. Men, women, and children all scarred by conflict are simply longing for the right to live without fear. This pain is not political it’s deeply human. And it’s unbearable.”

Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks on ceasefire, Mehbooba emphasized patience and pragmatism, “Ceasefire takes time. When the militaries of two countries are in direct confrontation, de-escalation requires patience. We must not become a people constantly ready for war. War destroys homes, takes lives, leaves children orphaned, and fills hospitals. It solves nothing.”

Her words reflected a steadfast commitment to dialogue over destruction, a principle deeply rooted in her father’s approach to resolving the Jammu and Kashmir conflict.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, during his tenure as Chief Minister, envisioned the LoC not as a permanent divide but as a conduit for peace and connectivity. His pioneering efforts most notably the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and cross-LoC trade turned a line of division into a lifeline for families and traders. “We transformed the LoC from a battleground into a line of hope,” Mehbooba recalled. “These initiatives revived trade, reunited families, and fostered trust. They were steps toward a future where Kashmir could breathe freely.”

Between 2002 and 2005, these confidence-building measures brought relative calm to the region, demonstrating that reconciliation could triumph over conflict. “Kashmir cannot afford another war. It’s time to stop turning it into a battlefield. Give peace a chance our children’s future depends on it.”

Extending her appeal beyond the region, she called on national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to prioritize dialogue over military escalation. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, she held up images of children lost to shelling and asked, “What is the fault of these children?”

Her plea for a Valley-wide shutdown to protest terrorism, coupled with her push to revive cross-LoC trade and bus services halted since 2019 underscores her belief that military action alone cannot address the root causes of unrest. “True healing demands dialogue,” she asserted.