‘Pakistan played key role when world was on brink of war’
Mehbooba hails Islamabad’s efforts, urges dialogue for regional connectivity
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has once again hailed Islamabad for facilitating a ceasfire between the United States and Iran, saying that Pakistan played a crucial role at a time when the world was on the brink of war.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at a rally in south Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti said, “It is difficult to take Pakistan’s name here. People feel scared to do it. But what can you do? Pakistan has played a key role. The world was on the brink of war, and that was stopped by them, at least for now.”
She expressed hope that the ceasefire would hold, adding that peace in the region was vital. “Pray to God this ceasefire holds, and Iran gets the victory. Iran’s victory is the victory of the Muslim Ummah. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s sacrifice united Shias and Sunnis. Does anybody say today he is Shia and I am Sunni? We are all Muslims today,” she said.
مجھے معلوم ہے کہ یہاں پاکستان کا نام لینا مشکل ہے لیکن میں یہ کہوں گی کہ پاکستان نے آج پوری دنیا کو بچا لیا، محبوبہ مفتی pic.twitter.com/WNtk4dZn4S
— Khawaja Yaseen Usmani (@YaseenUSM_Offl) April 9, 2026
Mehbooba Mufti further said that the world had forced the US to start dialogue with Iran as the crisis had choked the world economy, drawing a parallel with the costs Kashmir had to pay after it was cut off from its traditional routes in 1947.
Calling for dialogue with neighbours, she urged the reopening of all traditional routes connecting Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh with Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and further into Central Asia, China, Russia, and Iran.
Referring to historical links, she said the ancient route associated with the revered Sufi saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani—who introduceed Islam in Kashmir—should be revived to restore regional connectivity.
“These roads will become a Strait of Hormuz for [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir,” she said, adding reopening them would not only benefit the occupied territory but the wider region as well.
