Srinagar, May 11: Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday visited Salamabad near the Line of Control (LoC), GMC Baramulla and relief camps in the district. She met the families forced into relief camps due to relentless cross-border shelling. “
These children are not waiting for revenge, they are waiting for peace. End the war. Let them live,” Mufti said, according to a press release issued by the party.
Mehbooba also visited GMC Baramulla to inquire about civilians injured in the recent shelling. She offered support to the wounded and urged the administration to ensure their proper treatment 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 under violence. The war-mongering must stop.”
Speaking to reporters at Salamabad near LoC, the PDP chief said, “I met families who fled their homes overnight with nothing but trauma. Men, women, and children have been scarred by conflict and are simply longing for the right to live without fear. This pain is not political; it is deeply human. And it is unbearable.”
Mehbooba was accompanied by senior PDP leaders Basharat Bukhari, MLA Pulwama Waheed Para, District President Rafiq Rather, DDC member Razia and other party leaders.
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks on the ceasefire, Mufti emphasised the importance of patience and pragmatism: “Ceasefire takes time. When the militaries of two countries are in direct confrontation, de-escalation requires patience. We must not be turned into people who are constantly prepared for war. War solves nothing.”
She said that during the party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s tenure as Chief Minister, the LoC was envisioned not as a permanent divide but as a channel for peace and connectivity. Mehbooba highlighted how his initiatives, most notably the Srinagar–Muzaffarabad bus service and cross-LoC trade transformed a line of separation into a lifeline for families and businesses.
“We turned the LoC from a battleground into a line of hope,” Mufti recalled. “These initiatives revived trade, reunited families, and fostered trust. They were steps toward a future where Kashmir could breathe freely.”
The former CM strongly advocated for their revival, arguing that such measures remain essential to healing Jammu and Kashmir’s wounds. “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,” she said.
Extending her appeal to national leadership, Mufti urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other decision-makers to prioritise dialogue over military escalation. “True healing demands dialogue,” she asserted. “Let us build a future where the children of Jammu and Kashmir can live without fear,” she said. “End this war. Let Kashmir breathe.”
