Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on Friday questioned why, if the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both India and Pakistan can communicate and reach a ceasefire agreement, the political leadership of the two countries cannot do the same.

Addressing the Friday congregation at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, the Mirwaiz said: “Military brinkmanship only leads to disaster, as we have seen, and results in increased arms sales — never in peace. But do India and Pakistan truly want peace, or is it just about one-upmanship? That is what the people of Kashmir wonder.”

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“For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we want peace, not war. We seek resolution, not the continuation of conflict. It is our sincere hope that the ceasefire announced by the DGMOs, effective until the 18th of this month, becomes permanent. Yet, stating the obvious is now considered anti-national. With each such episode, the problem becomes more intractable,” he said.

“From a global perspective, Kashmir is seen as a nuclear flashpoint that could ignite at any moment. For India and Pakistan, it is viewed as a territorial issue. But for the people of J&K, who live with the harsh reality of this conflict every day, it is a bleeding wound that refuses to heal. How long must we endure this suffering, fear, and uncertainty? Everyone is talking about Kashmir, but no one is talking to Kashmir — to its people, to those who live here. What do we want for ourselves, for our future generations? Will our wounds ever heal? Will this conflict ever be resolved?” Mirwaiz asked.

He added, “In the past few days, we have gone through yet another harrowing experience triggered by this festering conflict — just hours away from an all-out war between two nuclear-armed nations. Even the so-called ‘limited escalation’ was enough to devastate the lives of people along and across the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K. Dozens of precious lives were lost; homes and livelihoods destroyed.”

Referring to a recent tragedy, he said, “The image of the smiling 12-year-old twins, Zain and Urwa, will continue to haunt us. How their mother is coping while their father battles for his life in the hospital is heart-wrenching. The pain runs deep.”