Srinagar, May 10 -- As the tension between India and Pakistan continued to escalate, People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that India should embrace its leadership role in the subcontinent and take the first step to de-escalate.

She added that this is a moment for India to stand tall and demonstrate that its true strength lies in its soft power and commitment to peace, not in nukes.

"Even though initially U.S. Vice President Venice stated that America wouldn't intervene beyond a certain point in the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan - now in light of the worrying intensity of the situation, U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubeio has reached out to the Pakistani Army Chief, urging de-escalation,"...