Mehbooba visits R S Pura, condoles with border shelling hit families

Says people want to live peacefully, expects positive response to ceasefire by all sides

`World moving to peaceful engagements as violence kills, both humans and spirits’

JAMMU, MAY 21: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today visited R S Pura and condoled with the families whose kin were killed in cross border shelling at Arnia and R S Pura during past few days.

Interacting with the people there, the Chief Minister described the killings as highly unfortunate addingthese occurred when the holy month of Ramadhan had just begun and people had heaved sigh of relief due to the Centre’s welcome step of halting security operations in the State.

Mehbooba Mufti said the people of the State, who have gone through very tough times in the past, want to live a peaceful life free from violence and killings. She said the Centre’s move of halting security operations has generated a hope among people who expect positive reciprocation to it by all stakeholders to let people of the State come out of the zero-sum game of killings and uncertainty.

The Chief Minister said world over people are coming to peaceful engagement of issues as acrimony and violence has led them nowhere except deaths, destruction and devastation. She said the way North and South Korea decided to walk on peaceful engagement is an encouraging signal to the entire world that issues, no matter how complex these might be, can only be settled through negotiations peacefully as violence only kills, both humans and spirits as well.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister disbursed cash assistance of Rs. one lakh each among the families whose kin were killed in the cross-border shelling of past few days. This assistance is over and above the ex gratia relief already paid to them through Jammu Divisional administration. She also directed the Jammu Divisional administration to prepare a report of the damages suffered to houses and dwelling units during the border shelling.

Mehbooba Mufti conveyed her heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls.

Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta; Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Shyam Choudhary; MLA, Gagan Bhagat; Vice Chairman SC Board, Bhushan Dogra; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Hemant Sharma; IGP, Jammu zone, Dr. SDS Jamwal and officers of Divisional and District administration were present on the occasion.