Cong JK Panel voices concern over shelling

NEW DELHI, Feb 9:
The Congress party’s policy planning group for Jammu and Kashmir today expressed deep concern over the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in the Jammu region “leading to deaths, devastation and exodus of a few lakh people”.
The group met today under the leadership of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and expressed concern over inadequate relief and rehabilitation measures for the citizens.
It called upon the Jammu and Kashmir Government to adequately provide for relocation and rehabilitation of citizens to safer places and provide succour.
Singh will depute individual members of the group to visit different district headquarters of the Jammu region for deeper deliberation with Congress members, civil society representatives as also the citizens, said party’s communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala.
The group has visited various parts of the State earlier and met a number of residents to help build a dialogue with the people there to help bring about sustained peace in the trouble-torn state.
It was decided that the members would again visit the region in April 2018.
The group has top Congress leaders as members including Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni and Karan Singh.
Nineteen people, including nine civilians, were killed and over 75 injured in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the IB in Jammu region this year. (PTI)