Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Nov 22: 67th ‘Poonch Link-Up Day’ was celebrated today by the people of Poonch and the Poonch Brigade with gaiety and fervor.
The celebrations commemorated with the historic link up carried out by Poonch Brigade forces and 19 Infantry Brigade from Rajouri at Danni Ka Pir on November 21, 1948.
The celebrations were graced by General Officer Commanding (GOC), Ace of Spades Division along with Commander, Poonch Brigade, Mohd Harun Malik, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch and JS Johar, SSP Poonch besides eminent citizens and a large number of people of Poonch.
Jahangir Mir, MLC (Deputy Chairman), Dr Shahnaaz Ganai, MLC and Shah Mohd Tantray, MLA Poonch, also graced the occasion.
As run-up to 67th Poonch Link-Up Day, a number of events were organized at Poonch town and adjoining villages over a period of 15 days. To encourage the youth, a number of sports events including Football and volleyball tournaments were conducted.
Further, more than 700 children of Poonch had participated in a 3.5 km ‘Run for Fun’ from Poonch Stadium to Pritam Stadium.
In a first of its kind, 40 handicapped persons belonging to villages of Poonch District were taken to Delhi for undertaking on the spot fitments of artificial limbs in concert with Pritam Charitable Trust, and Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, an NGO.
Medical camps were also organized at village Degwar, Mandi and at 425 Field Hospital. 25 patients suffering from cataract were operated upon successfully in 158 General Hospital at Rajouri.
GOC, Ace of Spades Division and Commander, Poonch Brigade, laid wreaths at Naman Sathal War Memorial to honour the gallant martyrs of Indian Army who laid down their lives while defending their motherland.
Thereafter a cultural event was organized in which children of various schools performed. The troops of Poonch Brigade too displayed their horsemanship, gatka, malkhamb, para gliding and combat skills, which enthralled the spectators.
The function concluded with veterans’ rally which was held at Natu auditorium.
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