People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has suggested India should embrace its leadership role in the subcontinent and take the first step to de-escalate tensions with Pakistan. It is a moment for the country to stand tall and demonstrate that its true strength lies in its soft power and commitment to peace, Mufti, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir said on Saturday.

“Even though initially US Vice President JD Vance 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 Marco Rubio has reached out to the Pakistani Army Chief, urging de-escalation,” Mehbooba said in a post on X.Mehbooba's remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pakistan Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asif Munir urging "both parties to find ways to de-escalate”.

India World's Largest Democracy
“India as the world’s largest democracy and now as a emerging power/ the most populous nation—with a rapidly growing economy ranked third globally must not rely on inconsistent international support. Instead, India should embrace its leadership role in the subcontinent and take the first step to de-escalate,” Mehbooba said.