“Saw Them Play, Then Found Their Bodies”: Mehbooba Mufti Breaks Down

Srinagar, May 9:
In a tearful press conference on Friday in Srinagar, former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wept while addressing the killing of innocent children in the recent round of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Pakistani soldiers. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader demanded instant political action, cautioning that ongoing military buildup between India and Pakistan is leading the region towards a disaster.

Remembering a heart-rending scene from the border regions, Mufti stated, “I saw twins playing one moment and saw their bodies drenched in blood the next. What is the fault of these children and women who are getting just caught in the crossfire?” Her voice filled with emotion as she asked for the price of this war, especially for non-combatants in Jammu & Kashmir’s border states.

Call for Restraint and Dialogue

Mufti brought up the recent Pulwama (2019) and Pahalgam (2025) terror attacks, paralleling them to the crisis at hand. “These incidents have time and again taken India and Pakistan to the edge of doom,” she remarked, calling on both countries to give up on the military option and opt for diplomacy and dialogue.

She condemned the cycle of violence, citing that military action tends to kill innocents while the root causes remain unsolved. “Whether it is Kargil, Pulwama, Pahalgam or Pathankot — military strikes have never brought long-term peace,” Mufti stated.

India-Pakistan Military Face-Off

Her emotional plea followed just hours after Pakistani forces fired and shelled locations in Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu districts late last night, leading to return fire from Indian forces. Also, Pakistan had reportedly tried to strike Indian military installations with drones and missiles in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, threats which were foiled, said the Indian Defence Ministry.

There were no reports of direct casualties in the strikes, although the ongoing combat has created rampant fear and emergency responses along the western frontier, including blackouts and sirens in several towns.

Appeal to Leadership on Both Sides

Mufti issued a straight-out call to action to both sets of leaders. “India is emerging as an international force and Pakistan has problems within its borders. This is the moment of truth for the two Prime Ministers to be leader-like,” she stated. “If they are able to put the phone down and resolve the issue, it can save thousands of lives.”

She appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to live up to his previous assurance that the “era of war has ended” and move towards peace before further escalation becomes irreversible.

A Cry for the Voiceless

While tensions escalate at the border, Mufti’s tearful appeal highlighted the price of geopolitical competition in human lives. “It is time for children to play, not to die. How long will the laps of our mothers remain vacant?” she had asked, voice shaking.

Her emotional appeal has triggered renewed appeals from civil society and political commentators for immediate de-escalation, with several repeating her call for a return to diplomacy and dialogue.