Contrary to the Congress questioning the timing of ceasefire with Pakistan, its allies in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) have welcomed the ceasefire, terming the development necessary for the people living on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Abdullah on Tuesday said the ceasefire between India and Pakistan must remain intact as people on the borders want to live in peace.

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Mehbooba went a step further by stating that “The Modi government should not be politically penalized for exploring peaceful means. This is a time for bipartisan statesmanship not division. The opposition must rise above politics and support genuine efforts for peace and stability.”

The support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the unexpected quarters has come as a surprise among the political circles here.

“We all want the ceasefire to remain intact. Only the anchors of a few TV channels, who sit far away from here in Noida and Bombay, do not like the ceasefire,” Omar told reporters during his visit to Tangdhar along the Line of Control (LoC) that was badly hit during the cross-border shelling by Pakistan.

“The people living near the borders or the LoC, and those who saw the situation in Jammu and Srinagar, they want a ceasefire. It is a good thing. This ceasefire should remain intact,” Omar said.

In a post on X, Mehbooba Mufti, who was earlier CM with the support of BJP but later turned a fierce critic after the saffron party withdrew support to her, said this was a time for “bipartisan statesmanship” and not division.

She wrote; “I appeal to all the opposition parties to resist the urge for knee-jerk criticism or political point-scoring. Just as the Pahalgam incident united voices from Kashmir to Kanyakumari there is a need to build a national consensus around a peace process that safeguards national interests. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh proved that cross-border engagement is possible even in tense times without compromising security or sovereignty. The Modi government should not be politically penalized for exploring peaceful means. This is a time for bipartisan statesmanship not division. The opposition must rise above politics and support genuine efforts for peace and stability.”

“Those who criticise the ceasefire from the comfort of air-conditioned studios and drawing rooms should spend time with their families on the borders to truly understand the daily reality of death and destruction,” Mehbooba added.

The Chief minister told reporters that the district administration will complete the damage assessment and then whatever compensation is needed to be paid to them, we will give that to them.

He said the government will formulate a policy to build individual bunkers for the people. Community bunkers had been built but they were not used for so long. No new bunker has come up in many years. Wherever I went, people said we should build individual bunkers.

During a visit to the border areas of Poonch and Rajouri, J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra said that the Prime Minister should announce a special comprehensive package for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected population.

Strongly condemning Pakistan for targeting the civilian population in Poonch, Rajouri and elsewhere, Karra shared the grief and sorrow with families of those martyred or injured besides suffering great loss to livestock and properties.