Jammu: Lawyers suspend work to protest Pak shelling along IB, LoC

Normal functioning of courts in the winter capital of Jammu was today affected as lawyers stayed away to protest heavy shelling by Pakistan along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in which seven people, including an infant, died over the past week.

The Jammu High Court Bar Association unanimously decided to suspend the work for the day to lodge protest against the unprovoked and indiscriminate Pakistani firing and the subsequent casualties and miseries to the border residents who have been forced to migrate for their safety, a spokesman of the association said.

The work in the high court and its subordinate courts, tribunals and commissions was badly affected due to the suspension of the work by the lawyers, the officials said.

The association held a meeting in the high court complex, condemning the Pakistani shelling and expressed solidarity with the border residents.

Vice president of the Association, Sachin Gupta, who chaired the meeting, said India is trying to make peace with Pakistan but the latter does not want peace and resorts to unprovoked firing on civilians every now and then.

"During the holy month of Ramzan when the centre has announced unilateral ceasefire, the Pakistani side resorted to shelling and firing on our border villages in which precious lives have been lost and many rendered injured," he said.

Gupta said the killing of an eight-month-old boy along the LoC in Pakistani firing yesterday was against humanity and "such act of cowardice cannot be justified even by Pakistan".

Expressing concern about the safety of border residents, he said many of them have fled their homes and have taken shelter in relief camps.

"The main livelihood of the residents of the border villages is agriculture and related activities are severely affected as the livestock are being slaughtered and humans cannot venture out of safe zones due to indiscriminate firing and shelling by Pakistan," he said, demanding adequate compensation to the affected families.

He said the education of children is severely affected as schools remain closed and people live in fear for their lives.

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the LoC this year. Over 700 such incidents have been reported this year, which have left 38 people, including 18 security personnel, dead and scores injured.

Today, two persons, including a 70-year-old woman, were injured as Pakistani Rangers opened fire and lobbed mortars along the IB in the state, triggering panic among border residents and forcing many to take shelter in government-run camps.