Terror, trade, talks can’t go together; blood & water too won’t flow at one time: Shah

‘Development in J&K that began in 2014 will resume with full force’

HM visits religious places damaged in Pak shelling

Job letters given to next of kin of killed civilians

Centre to announce package for damaged houses, businesses

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, May 30: In a stern warning to Pakistan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today declared that terror, talks and trade can’t go together and blood and water can’t flow simultaneously even as he assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that development which began in 2014 will resume with full force and anyone who tries to disrupt it will be given powerful and befitting reply.

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Addressing people after distribution of appointment letters and next of kin of civilians killed in Pakistan shelling between May 7-10 at Dak Bungalow in Poonch and later the BSF jawans at their Unit Headquarters in Khanetar, about nine kilometres from the border town, Shah said: “blood and water can’t flow together. Terror and talks and terror and trade too can’t go together”.

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His remarks came amid Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer for peace talks with India and resumption of Indus Water Treat (IWT) which India kept in abeyance following April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians including 25 tourists and a local were killed.
Shah was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka besides top officials of UT’s civil and police administration. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and J&K Minister Javed Rana were also present.
The Home Minister, who was on a two-day visit of the Jammu region, reviewed security situation in the UT and arrangements for Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage at a high-level meeting here last night and visited the border district of Poonch today before returning to New Delhi.
He visited the religious places damaged in Pakistan shelling and the site where minor school going siblings were killed besides undertaking a tour of the Poonch Market. He addressed the people including shelling victims at Dak Bungalow where he also distributed appointment letters for Government departments among next of kin of the civilians killed in Pakistan shelling.
He was greeted with the slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Shah also met the affected shopkeepers.
He announced that a package would soon be announced by the Centre for damaged homes, businesses and religious sites.
Assuring the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the development that began in 2014 will resume with full force, the Home Minister warned that anyone who tries to disrupt it will be given a powerful and befitting reply.
He asserted that the pause in development caused by recent disturbances is only momentary, and the Union Territory’s progress will soon regain its momentum.
“Pakistan committed a highly condemnable act by carrying out intense shelling in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Poonch,” he said and asserted that India responded by precisely targeting terror infrastructure across the border without harming any civilians.
Calling the recent shelling “the worst in Poonch since Independence,” Shah said civilian homes, temples, gurudwaras, and mosques were targeted by Pakistan.
“This is a highly condemnable act. Pakistan used civilians as human shields. Only after this provocation, our forces responded with strength and precision,” the Home Minister said.
He said Indian Armed Forces demolished the headquarters of terrorist organizations located inside Pakistan’s borders.
“Due to the determination of Prime Minister Modi, the precise intelligence provided by our agencies, and the remarkable courage and pinpoint accuracy of the military, hundreds of terrorists were eliminated, he said, adding while India attacked terrorists, Pakistan perceived it as an attack on itself, revealing to the world that it shelters and sponsors terrorism.
He clarified that India did not target any military or civilian facility in Pakistan. “With utmost precision and restraint, Indian Armed Forces completely destroyed Pakistan-sponsored terrorist bases,” he said.
Shah said that following India’s strikes, a “rattled” Pakistan resorted to firing on residential areas in Jammu and Kashmir, with Poonch suffering the most damage. “Pakistan fired on all residential areas, temples, gurdwaras, and madrassas in Poonch,” he said, adding the world is now strongly condemning Pakistan’s attacks on civilians.
He further said that when Pakistan attacked residential areas and unarmed civilians, the Indian Army responded robustly by damaging nine of their airbases and military capabilities.
Shah asserted that under PM Modi’s leadership, India has a clear security policy. “Our Army will not tolerate any kind of interference with our civilians or along our borders.”
Lauding bravery and readiness of the Armed Forces and the civil administration, the Home Minister acknowledged the sacrifice of a senior official during the recent India-Pakistan military conflict. He also praised the administration’s swift response in evacuating civilians to safer places during the shelling.
It may be mentioned here that JKAS officer Dr Raj Kumar Thapa and two civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling in the border district of Rajouri while 13 civilians lost their lives in Poonch from May 7-10.
Shah said that immediately after Prime Minister Modi assumed office in 2014, a decision was taken to construct bunkers along the border to protect civilians.
“More than 9,500 bunkers have been built so far, which played a crucial role in saving lives of the people during Pakistan shelling and firing,” he said, adding the Government of India, in coordination with the UT administration, will build more bunkers in the coming days to further enhance civilian protection in border areas.
He assured the people that entire nation and the Governments of India and Jammu and Kashmir stand with you like a rock. The acts committed by terrorists and Pakistan will only make India’s defence policy stronger, he added.
“We have already provided appointment letters to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the attack. This can never compensate for the loss, but it is a step in sharing their burden,” he said.
Addressing the BSF soldiers at their Unit Headquarters at Khanetar in Poonch, Shah said more than 118 Pakistani forward posts and their surveillance system were completely destroyed by the BSF during Operation Sindoor, dealing a major blow to the neighbouring country.
He commended the Border Security Force (BSF) for its resolute response to Pakistani aggression during the four days of conflict earlier this month.
Damaging and destroying so many posts in such a short period is a remarkable achievement, the Home Minister said, adding that dismantling the enemy’s surveillance network is a significant blow and it would take Pakistan years to rebuild the system.
“When Pakistan responded to our anti-terror operations during Operation Sindoor by attacking our borders and civilian areas, it was the BSF jawans of the Jammu Frontier who retaliated by destroying and damaging over 118 posts. They dismantled the enemy’s entire surveillance system piece by piece — a system that will take them four to five years to rebuild,” the Home Minister said.
He said that according to information he received from the BSF Director General, Pakistan had suffered the biggest blow to its communication systems and surveillance equipment, rendering them “incapable of waging a full-fledged information-based war for quite some time”.
Praising the BSF’s readiness even during times of relative peace, Shah said their intelligence enabled precise pre-emptive action.
“This proves that even during peacetime, you kept a vigilant eye… Based on your accurate intelligence, a precise counter-strategy was prepared well in advance. When the opportunity arose, you implemented it with success,” he added.
Terming the feat a reflection of immense patriotism and sacrifice, Shah added, “Such bravery only emerges when there is pride in the nation, a sense of patriotism in the heart, and a passion for supreme sacrifice. That is when such outcomes are possible.”
He emphasised the BSF continues to serve as India’s first line of defence, operating across deserts, mountains, forests, and rugged terrains with unwavering dedication.
“Whenever there is any kind of attack on India’s borders — organised or unorganised, covert or overt — the first to bear the brunt are our BSF jawans. But they never pause to consider where the boundary lies,” Shah said.
Reflecting on his travel to Poonch despite inclement weather, the Home Minister said he was determined to meet the jawans personally.
“I came to Poonch to visit and share the grief of the damage done to gurudwaras, temples, mosques, and civilian population. I was told the weather was not favourable. Still, I decided that I would go by road and return only after meeting the jawans posted at the border.
“God was gracious. The weather cleared up, and I had the opportunity to meet you,” he told the troopers.
The Home Minister expressed gratitude to the BSF troopers on behalf of the Government and the citizens of India. “The cheer for BSF is as loud as for the Army, and that is a matter of great pride for all of us.”
Shah reiterated that the valour and sacrifices of BSF jawans have earned national admiration and stand as a symbol of India’s enduring resolve towards security.
Earlier, Shah distributed Government job appointment letters among the families affected by the cross-border attacks in Poonch district.
“The compensation and jobs cannot fully make up for the loss of life, but they are a symbol of the sentiments of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, the Government of India, and the people of the entire nation,” Shah told the affected families in his address.
He emphasized that the whole country stands with them like a rock.
The Home Minister expressed his condolences to the families affected by Pakistan’s aggression on residential areas, temples, gurdwaras, and mosques in Poonch.
“The spirit of patriotism that has emerged among the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir — from the Valley to Poonch and Kathua — following the Pahalgam terrorist attack has strengthened the resolve of the entire nation,” he said.

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