PDP's Mehbooba visits shelling-hit Balakote area

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today visited the Balakote area of Poonch in J&K where five civilians were recently killed in shelling from across the border.
Expressing condolences with the bereaved families who were lodged in a make-shift camp for safety, Mehbooba called for an immediate de-escalation of violence along the borders so that the locals 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, Mehbooba said that constant shelling from across the border 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 to live peacefully," she said, adding that people in J&K have always been the worst sufferers in such aggressive situations.
Mehbooba urged the Centre to take up the issue of peaceful movement of people across the border for farming and other agricultural activities with Pakistan.
She also demanded immediate deployment of a Critical Care Ambulance in the area and setting up of a trauma hospital in the region to deal with any such future eventualities.

The PDP President was accompanied by senior party leaders Naeem Akhtar, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain and other local leaders.