SRINAGAR — The bilateral ceasefire announced by the US and Iran after the 40-day-long West Asia conflict has been welcomed by a senior religious leader in Jammu and Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
After raising tensions to an unexpected high by saying that an entire civilisation would be wiped out if Iran did not respond positively before the end of the deadline set by him, US President Donald Trump posted on social media that a two-week-long ceasefire has been agreed upon by the two belligerent countries, the US and Iran.
Israel said that, although they were informed about it at the last moment, the country would observe the ceasefire.
Ironically, the ceasefire was mediated by Pakistan and was mentioned by its Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on his social media post.
While announcing the ceasefire, the US president said the Iranian people were great.
The ceasefire announcement has been largely welcomed in Jammu and Kashmir, and it has come as a relief to the people in the union territory.
Kashmir Valley has a sizeable Shia Muslim population whose religious and sectarian affiliation with Iran has been historic. Sunni Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir have also shown solidarity with the Iranian people, standing alongside the Shia Muslims.
Senior religious leader and chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, welcomed the announcement. He said on X, “The two week ceasefire announcement between Iran and the United States is a welcome step toward peace. It underscores restraint and dialogue takes precedence over confrontation for conflict resolution, and peace prevails over war.”
“The resilience and courage shown by the Iranian people and leadership in the face of extreme aggression is commendable. Congratulations to them and all the actors including Islamabad in bringing about this crucial ceasefire. May this lead to lasting stability and greater dialogue over conflict,” he added.
Kashmir had witnessed widespread peaceful protests on March 1 after the death of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, in the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28. — IANS
