Srinagar, May 10 (KNO): Border residents in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday welcomed the announcement of a full and immediate ceasefire between India and Pakistan, made by the United States President Donald Trump.
People living along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez, Poonch, Rajouri, Uri and Karnah, speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said war has never brought solutions but only losses. They expressed hope that this ceasefire would bring stability to their lives.
After a night of talks mediated by the United States, Trump announced on a social media platform, Truth Social, that both countries had agreed to cease hostilities.
Earlier, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out strikes on eight military sites in Pakistan, including radar units and ammunition depots, in response to Pakistani military attacks on Indian installations and civilian areas.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said Indian forces had thwarted infiltration attempts at more than 26 locations and that Pakistan had used drones and long-range weapons along the western borders.
In Gurez, 62-year-old Mohammad Ramzan said, “We don’t want war. It brings damage to both sides. We want our children to study in peace and our families to live without fear.”
People in Poonch said the ceasefire brings hope to families who have seen loved ones die in cross-border shelling.
Shakeela Begum, whose husband was killed in a shelling incident in 2019, said, “We have suffered a lot. War only takes lives. We want both governments to think about the people living at the borders.”
In Rajouri, Javed Iqbal, a government school teacher, said, “Every time tension rises, we prepare for loss. Education, farming, trade, everything stops. Ceasefire helps us move forward.”
From Uri, 60-year-old Ghulam Ahmad said, “When there is peace, we work, children go to school, life continues. When there is war, there is fear, loss, and silence.”
In Karnah, Shabir Lone, a farmer Sarpanch, said, “People living in Delhi or Islamabad may not feel the impact of shelling, but we do. We want the peace to continue. War only creates more problems.”
Residents along the LoC said they have witnessed multiple ceasefire violations in the past and appealed to both governments to uphold this agreement. They called for long-term peace and communication between the two nations to prevent further escalation.
“We are tired of counting dead bodies,” said a resident from Poonch. “Now we want to count school days, harvests and celebrations.”—(KNO)