Srinagar, May 10 -- Valley leaders, including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Jamia Masjid chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday made fervent appeals to Indian and Pakistani leadership for de-escalation of the situation, stressing that people of J&K are bearing the brunt of the latest hostilities.

Mehbooba broke down and implored that for how long will the people of J&K suffer for no fault of theirs.

"What is the fault of the children and women that they are getting trapped in this crossfire? Be it Pulwama or Pahalgam, they remind us how they brought us close to destruction. Kargil, Pathankot, Pulwama or Pahalgam - military action treats symptoms, not the root cause of illness. It never provides a solutio...