Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday welcomed the “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan and hoped for permanent peace in the region. Welcoming the ceasefire, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that it came late.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the Director General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan (DGMO) had agreed to stop all kinds of firing and military action on land, air and sea from 5 pm on Saturday evening. This brief announcement of the Foreign Secretary came immediately after US President Donald Trump’s statement that he said that India and Pakistan have agreed to “complete and immediate ceasefire” after the US talks.
Omar Abdullah told reporters at his residence, “I wholeheartedly welcome the announcement made by the Government of India spokesperson about the restoration of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.” He said, “It was lately, but if this ceasefire would have happened two or three days ago, then perhaps the bloodshed we saw and the valuable we lost, they would be safe.”
Abdullah said that now it is the duty of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to provide relief and compensation to the victims during this period. He said, “We have announced compensation for loss of precious life. Now we will also have to pay compensation to the injured.”
The Chief Minister said that in Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Tangdhar and other border areas, there has been a lot of havoc due to cross -border shelling and attacks. He said, “Now we also hope that we will be able to resume Haj flights, because we were not able to send Haj pilgrims due to the closure of the airport.”
The ruling National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah also welcomed the ceasefire and stressed the immediate need to end enmity. In a statement issued from the party headquarters Nawa-e-Sahar, the NC president expressed his support for the ceasefire and admitted that the current situation had a significant impact on the people of the region and their property.
He said, “Our people living on the Line of Control and International border are suffering the deteriorating situation between the two neighboring countries. This step will reduce the suffering of those people who are caught in the firing.”
Abdullah emphasized that his party has always advocated permanent friendship between India and Pakistan. However, he emphasized that Pakistan has the primary responsibility to bridge the lack of trust, which will have to solve India’s real concerns regarding cross -border terrorism.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the ceasefire and said that both countries should resolve their issues and find ways to establish permanent peace. In a video released by his party, Mufti said, “This is good news for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been suffering from cross-border shelling for the last few days. I am sure people across the border would have breathed a sigh of relief.”
He said that although terrorism is not acceptable to anyone and it will not be tolerated, “terrorists should not determine when there should be war or peace between India and Pakistan.” “Military solutions are not a solution. Finally there should be political intervention,” he said.
Mufti said that India should play the role of elder brother in the region. He said, “Our country is very big, it should play the role of elder brother not only with Pakistan but also with the entire region so that there is permanent peace and people are prosperous.” The former Chief Minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state hoped that the two countries would try to resolve their differences to establish permanent peace.
He said, “I hope that the two countries will sit together and resolve their issues and find a way to establish permanent peace in the coming times – a peace that is permanent and not affected by any incident.” He said, “I am very happy with the news given by Trump. It has brought a message of peace not only to Jammu and Kashmir but also for the entire region.”
Senior CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami also welcomed the ceasefire and said that this has brought great relief to the people of both sides. Sajjad Lone, head of the People’s Conference, said that the declaration of ceasefire is a welcome step and a sense of relief everywhere.
Lone said, “Residents of the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered a lot. Hope they will be able to resume their lives and we will help them as a society and help them to rebuild their homes.”
All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) President Jagmohan Singh Raina described the ceasefire as an important development and said that this decision will not only help establish peace along the border, but will also pave the way for restoring confidence between the people of both countries. Raina appealed to the leadership of the two countries to resolve all pending issues through negotiations.
