Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti today visited the Balakote area of Poonch where five civilians were recently killed in shelling from across the border.Expressing personal condolences with the bereaved families lodged in a make-shift camp, Mehbooba called for immediate de-escalation of violence along the borders so that the people living there could resume their normal life."We have to immediately explore ways and means to bring an end to the sufferings of the hapless civilians who have been subjected to great hardships over the last few months by the continuous shelling along the borders in J&K,” she said.
Making a fervent appeal for maintaining peace on the borders, Ms Mehbooba said constant shelling from across has seen a humanitarian crisis unfolding with people leaving their homes and scurrying for safety of their lives. “This senseless violence along the borders has to end to facilitate the people live peacefully,” she said and added that people in Jammu and Kashmir have always been the worst sufferers in such aggressive situations.Mehbooba urged the Government of India to take up with the Government of Pakistan the issue of peaceful movement of people across the border fencing for farming and other agricultural activities.She also demanded immediate deployment of a Critical Care Ambulance in the area and setting up of a trauma hospital there to deal with any such future eventualities.The PDP President was accompanied by senior party leaders Mr Naeem Akhtar, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain and other local leaders.