STATE TIMES NEWS
MENDHAR: Senior Natio-nal Conference leader and MLA Mendhar, Javed Ahmed Rana on Friday expressed dismay over cosmetic visits of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti along with Minister for Public Health Engineering to the shelling hit forward areas along Line of Control, especially Mendhar.
Rana who has been for a week pleading for rehabilitation of people from worst hit villages along LoC in Balakote Sector and has been critical of the absence of any senior government functionaries to Mendhar said, “I am aghast at the invitation of administration to shelling victims to come to Bhimber Gali (BG) to meet the Chief Minister”, further adding that one expected a more sympathetic and warm treatment to the innocent victims at this difficult hour.
Instead of meeting the injured admitted in SDH Mendhar, several injured and their relatives were called to turn up at BG, on Jammu-Poonch highway, to meet the Chief Minister. He accused the PDP-BJP alliance of abandoning the border dwellers.
In the backdrop of deteriorating bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, Rana urged the State government to put in place an effective rehabilitation plan for villagers living in most vulnerable pockets of Balakote Sector. He also rued the criminal delay in construction of Pakka bunkers as repeatedly promised by the several senior functionaries of the State government.
Maintaining that sustained ‘structured dialogue’ is the only means to resolve bilateral issues, Rana made a fervent appeal for peace and meaningful engagement between India and Pakistan to de-escalate the hostile situation prevailing on the borders.
“We must collectively towards peace and ending the sufferings of hapless people as hostile and violent atmosphere of hate and violence has dangerous consequences for one and all,” he said while favouring opening the channels of communication forthwith, realizing the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the LoC.
Rana said violence along the LoC has once again reminded us of the inevitability of adopting non-violent means to bring about pragmatic solution of all the contentions issues.