‘Better late than never’: J-K CM Omar Abdullah welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire

Asserting it is now the duty of the Jammu and Kashmir administration to assess the damage in the affected regions, he said, “Now, it is the responsibility of the administration to assess the damage caused in affected areas and begin providing relief to the people without delay.”

He also said he hoped that, with the ceasefire now in place, the Union Government would act swiftly to reopen the airspace and facilitate the resumption of civil aviation.

“Now that we have a ceasefire I hope the airports can be reopened quickly & civil flights can resume. We have a backlog of hajis who should have been in Medina by now. I hope the Union Government will move quickly to reopen airspace & enable us to resume Haj flights from Srinagar,” he wrote in a post on X.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a press briefing, announced that both sides will stop all firing and military action from land, air, and sea from 5 pm onwards starting today, adding that the DGMOs will talk again at noon on May 12.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also posted on X that “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action.”

“India has consistently maintained a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It will continue to do so,” he wrote.

“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Congratulations to both countries on using common sense and great intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.

A day after Pakistan launched cross-border drones targeting multiple places in Jammu and Kashmir, apart from other parts of the country, CM Omar Abdullah Friday asked it to focus on “de-escalation” and said that the continuation of hostilities will only hurt the neighbouring country.

“The back-to-back cross-border attacks on Thursday night – first around 9 pm and then again at 4.30 am – clearly show an attempt by Pakistan to escalate. However, they will be the ones to suffer the most,’’ Abdullah said. “Pakistan gains nothing from this, nor will they succeed.”

India did not create the crisis, he added. “We had to respond as our people were attacked in Pahalgam and innocent civilians were killed.”

Describing the strikes on Jammu Thursday night as “one of the most severe assaults’’ since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he said: “The way civilians have been targeted and the kind of attacks carried out in the city, I don’t think Jammu has been targeted like this earlier.”

‘India should play the role of a big brother,’ says PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Saturday welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and said both the countries should resolve their issues and find ways to establish permanent peace.

“This is good news for the people of J-K, who have been suffering because of the cross-border shelling for the last few days. I am sure the news has brought a sigh of relief across the border,” Mufti said in a video shared on X.

She said that while terrorism is not acceptable to anyone and would not be tolerated, “terrorists should not determine when there should be war or peace between India and Pakistan.”

US President’s intervention resulting in an immediate ceasefire between India & Pakistan is a welcome step. I hope both countries will work towards an everlasting peace for this region. pic.twitter.com/xRcr6YnXLR

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 10, 2025

“Military solution is no solution. Ultimately, there should be a political intervention,” she said, adding India should play the role of a “big brother” in the region.

“Our country is huge, it should play the role of a big brother not just with Pakistan, but with the whole region so that there is permanent peace and people prosper,” she added.

The former chief minister of J-K expressed hope for the two countries seeking to resolve their differences to establish permanent peace.

(With inputs from PTI)