Declare areas hit by heavy shelling as war-impacted zones: Mehbooba

Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday demanded that areas which were badly impacted by this month’s heavy shelling by Pakistan be declared “war-impacted zones” so that their rehabilitation could be started on a “war-footing”.

She also said the government help had not yet reached those who suffered due to the border shelling in J&K.

Mufti, who addressed a press conference in Srinagar, said on Tuesday that she recently visited border areas to get a first-hand account.

“For the first time, I saw what happens to the common people who live on our borders when the relations get so bad that a war breaks out,” she said, adding that houses and families have been destroyed.

Mufti said there were many people who “sleep under the open sky. They have not even got a tent”. “The situation is very bad for these people. They have lost their lives. They have lost their property,” she said.

Mufti demanded that her first request was that all these areas should be declared as war-impacted zones.

“At least Rs 50 lakh should be given for the houses. Today, we know that even a door is not made in Rs 1 lakh,” Mufti said.

She also demanded that “who have lost their lives should be declared martyrs.” “Their families will get some benefits,” Mufti said.

Mufti said the government should intervene while providing help to the shopkeepers who were impacted in the shelling.

About Poonch which saw massive damage in the shelling, she said many lives could have been saved had there been a trauma centre at the hospital and an ambulance with ventilator facility. She said that during her visit, people demanded individual bunkers in border villages.

To a question about people who are advocating war, Mufti said, “I can tell them, take your wife and kids and stay at the border of Tangdhar (north Kashmir), Ranbir Singh Pura and Poonch (Jammu region). They then can also see what war is,” she said.

She said both sides have had a lot of civilian casualties. Mehbooba Mufti said, “War is not even the last option. I think they (government) should take a page from former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji’s doctrine, then they will get answers to all their questions,” Mufti said.

J & K