Mehbooba, Omar talk peace from warzone

SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called for a permanent ceasefire along Pakistan border in J&K, urging both central and state govts Saturday to prioritise humanitarian relief for civilians caught in recent artillery fire and drone incursions during Operation Sindoor.“Homes are not battlefields and families are not collateral. Every war waged by the powerful is a massacre endured by the powerless,” she said while visiting Tangdhar, a village in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, heavily shelled by Pakistan following Indian airstrikes on terrorist camps in that country and PoK.The former CM demanded enhanced compensation, comprehensive housing aid, and urgent installation of bunkers. “These families want peace, not war… instead of demanding schools, hospitals, or opportunities, these people are forced to beg for bunkers to survive,” she said.For its part, governing National Conference is amplifying messages from CM Omar Abdullah, who completed visits to multiple border areas. “War talk looks great from far-off places, not where real things happen. We feel sad when TV studio anchors talk about war. They should bring their studios to Srinagar where we see drones flying over our houses,” he said.Omar reiterated that peace must continue, urging national media and policymakers to consider the ground reality faced by civilians in conflict zones.