Kashmiris pray situation between India, Pakistan is resolved without war: Top cleric

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

People of Indian-administered Kashmir pray that the situation between India and Pakistan is “resolved without going to war,” the region's top cleric said Friday, amid ongoing tensions since the April 22 attack which left 26 people dead.

“We pray that the situation between India and Pakistan that is getting worse by the day is resolved without going to war,” said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while delivering his weekly Friday sermon at the main mosque in the capital Srinagar.

Hundreds of people attended the sermon at the historic mosque in downtown.

Mirwaiz urged New Delhi to “win hearts” of Kashmiris rather than detentions. “Thousands of people have been detained and scores of houses have been demolished by explosions, rendering families homeless and desolate,” he said, according to a statement on X.

The top cleric also expressed concern about the deportations of hundreds of people in the wake of visa cancellations, which "is leading to the division of families, with mothers being separated from little children and husbands from wives."

Tensions are running high between the nuclear-armed neighbors since last month's attack in Pahalgam.

India blamed Pakistan, saying the attack had “cross border links.” Islamabad denied and instead offered a neutral probe with third party monitoring.

Both countries have taken diplomatic measures at each other, including cancelling visas for each other’s citizens and recalling diplomatic staff.

India has also suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 water use and distribution agreement with Pakistan.