ISLAMABAD - In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the unresolved Kashmir dispute continues to cause deep and prolonged suffering for the Kashmiri people, who yearn for its immediate and durable resolution.
According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), addressing a large Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz warned that the unresolved dispute had once again brought nuclear-armed India and Pakistan perilously close to war, resulting in the tragic loss of lives and widespread destruction.
He highlighted the plight of civilians living along the Line of Control (LoC), many of whom have been severely impacted, losing their homes and livelihoods in the recent escalation.
He said, “We have gone through another harrowing experience that this festering conflict ignited, hours close to an all-out war between two atomic powers. Even the ‘limited escalation’ was enough to destroy the lives of those living along the LoC.”
Mirwaiz called on both countries to honor the recently announced ceasefire and transform it into a permanent arrangement. He urged India and Pakistan to initiate sincere, result-oriented dialogue aimed at resolving the Kashmir dispute, which not only is necessary to end the suffering of the Kashmiri people but also vital for steering the entire region toward lasting peace and development.
He further stressed that Kashmir is widely recognized by the international community as a nuclear flashpoint, and that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want a peaceful resolution to this dispute.
Mirwaiz expressed hope that the current ceasefire could serve as a foundation for constructive engagement between the two nations, ultimately leading to a just and peaceful settlement of the long-standing Kashmir dispute.