Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 28: Reacting sharply to the Pakistani shelling on innocent Indian civilians in R S Pura sector early today, Member Parliament and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has called for an immediate meeting of DGMOs of two countries while several other organizations including National Conference and NPP have condemned killings of innocent civilians on border.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called for an immediate meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan to sort out the issue of ceasefire violations amicably so that innocent lives are safeguarded.
“I appeal for ending the bloodshed of innocent people residing near the borders. There should be an immediate meeting of the DGMOs of the two countries to sort out the issue amicably so that lives of innocent civilians, including women and children who are under virtual siege from the past several months, are safeguarded,” Mehbooba, an MP from south Kashmir, said in a statement here.
Condoling the death of three civilians in continued shelling from across the border, Mehbooba said the border skirmishes have brought untold miseries upon the people, in particular those residing near the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).
“The need of the hour is for leaders from both sides to rise to the level of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statesmanship to resolve all issues cordially,” she said.
Senior PDP leader and MLC Vikramaditya Singh expressed grave concern over the recent incidents of multiple ceasefire violations on the border of Jammu , Samba, Rajouri and Poonch and condemned the killings of 3 innocents and injuries to 20 others in Pakistani firing in RS Pura and Arnia last night. The PDP leader appealed the Government of India to expedite the process of a peaceful resolution concerning ceasefire violations as innocents on both the sides are being killed besides cattle.
Speaker J&K Legislative Assembly and MLA Gandhi Nagar Kavinder Gupta visited Medical College Hospital here and enquired about the condition of the persons injured in border firing in R S Pura sector. Mr Gupta expressed his grief over the killing of innocent people in the unprovoked firing by Pakistani Rangers in the border belt of Jammu district and condemned the repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan. He directed the Hospital authorities to ensure free and best possible medicare facilities to these people.
Members Parliament, Jugal Kishore who was accompanying the Speaker also expressed his sympathy with the Pakistani firing victims. They also later visited the border villages and talked to the people and also directed administration to provide every possible help to the sufferers.
National Conference expressed deep anguish and grief over the killing of three civilians in shelling from across the border and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.
A delegation comprising State vice president Kashmira Singh, former minister and Chairman OBC/ST Cell Babu Rampal, Provincial vice presidents Brij Mohan Sharma, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Choudhry Arshad, Co-Chairperson OBC Wing Abdul Gani Teli, Vijay Kumar Lochan, Choudhry Arshad, Secretary Daljeet Sharma, Ch Bashir Ahmed Khatana, Ch Salam Din, Block president Balwinder Singh and Sarpanch Raj Kumar paid visit to firing affected villages Abdullian and Jawda Farm and met the bereaved families and injured in the hospital to enquire about the condition. They expressed solidarity with the terrified people and said National Conference shares their agony and grief. They also prayed for peace to departed soul and demanded ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to next of those killed in the shelling.
NC lamented that despite making tall promises the Centre and the PDP-BJP Coalition Government have not taken any initiative so far to allot five marlas plots of land to the dwellers of the shelling prone forward areas. They also sought formulation of a contingency plan to meet the challenges unfolded by border shelling besides keeping available mobile medical teams for timely assistance to the suffering people. They expressed concern over delays generally being caused in shifting the injured to hospitals as was recently witnessed in Balakote in Poonch.
Meanwhile, a National Conference spokesperson assailed the BJP led NDA at the Centre and PDP-BJP coalition in the State for their insensitivity towards the suffering border dwellers of Jammu and Kashmir, saying ahead of elections they had created much hype but now they are nowhere to be seen.
“People are getting killed but the Government is seen nowhere to take care of the sufferers”, he said, adding that such is the callousness of the coalition that the targeted people are not even being provided timely medical assistance.
The spokesperson expressed solidarity of National Conference with the border dwellers at this hour of need and conveyed the condolences on behalf of president of the party Dr Farooq Abdullah, Working president Omar Abdullah, general secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar and the Provincial president Jammu Devender Singh Rana to the bereaved families.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee has strongly condemned the Pakistan firing targeting civil population in RS Pura and Arnia area near international border causing death of three persons and injuring several others.
Strongly condemning the Pakistan firing, Ravinder Sharma chief spokesperson of JKPCC has expressed grave concern over the situation along the Indo-Pak border and LoC which has caused many innocent deaths besides injuries to several others, and loss of live stock, crops and other property during the past over one year. He said that the situation has become grim in view of repeated incidents of shelling across the border targeting the civilian population.
He said that an effective strategy should be adopted to put pressure on Pakistan to stop indulging in ceasefire violations and targeting the civilian population in the State. He expressed great shock and anguish over the loss of lives and injuries and expressed sympathies with the effected families. He urged the Government to provide relief of Rs five lakh to each effected family and employment to one member of each victim’s family, besides adequate relief to injured persons.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders Raman Bhalla, Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh, Sobha Singh and Sukh Dev Singh visited the GMC hospital Jammu to enquire about the health of injured persons in Pak firing. They expressed sympathies with the family of the deceased and prayed for early recovery of the injured persons. They also asked the Govt to immediately provide adequate relief to the families of the deceased and the injured persons. They also met the villagers who are fear struck due to heavy shelling by Pakistan and conveyed their sympathies to the villagers and expressed great concern over the prevailing situation in the area.
They also demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh in favour of families of the deceased killed in firing and Rs 5 lakh to the serious injured persons.
Reacting sharply to the firing on the innocent civilians on international border in R S Pura sector, Karanti Dal today said that mere calling off talks will not be enough and that India should wage a war against the neighbouring country to teach them a lesson. Condemning the killings of innocent civilians in Pak shelling in Balakote and R S Pura sectors Kranti Dal leaders expressed heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved families and prayed for speedy recovery of those injured in these incidents.
Senior Congress leader and former MP, Janak Raj Gupta accompanied by several party leaders and workers visited injured border residents undergoing treatment at GMC hospital here today. He has demanded adequate compensation for the families affected by Pakistani shelling.
Mr Gupta met the families of the persons who got seriously injured in the heavy Pakistani shelling in border areas of RS Pura tehsil and condemned the ‘barbaric action’ by Pakistan. He urged the Central Government to give a befitting reply to Pakistan. He demanded that a cash compensation of at least rupees ten lakh should be given to the affected family. He stated that farmers of border areas can not do their routine agricultural activities because of the Pakistani firing, which has affected their livelihood and livestock.
Former Minister and State president of Nationalist Congress Party Th Randhir Singh also condemned the killing of innocent persons in Pakistani firing in the border belt of R S Pura and Arnia today and urged upon the Government to provide adequate compensation to the affected people. He strongly condemned the shelling by Pak troops on Indian civilians.
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