SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for immediate government action to compensate families devastated by cross-border shelling, recommending a minimum payout of Rs 50 lakh per affected household and recognition of these civilians as “war victims”.
Speaking to the media after visits to the shelling-hit areas of Poonch and Tangdhar, Mufti expressed anguish at the grim conditions faced by border residents. “Even today, people are sleeping under open skies without shelter or government support. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, and yet not a single rupee has been disbursed in aid,” she said.
Mufti urged the administration to provide government jobs to the families of those killed in the violence and to offer compensation to shopkeepers whose uninsured businesses were damaged. She strongly criticised the administration’s failure to offer timely relief, describing it as a “painful display of apathy”.
She further highlighted the poor healthcare infrastructure in remote border districts, particularly in Poonch, where she said the absence of ventilators was turning hospitals into “sources of death rather than healing”. Calling for urgent intervention, she said improving medical facilities in these areas should be treated as a top priority.
Mufti also renewed her demand for the construction of underground bunkers in vulnerable border villages, stressing that residents live in constant fear of shelling. “It is heartbreaking that in the 21st century, our people must ask for bunkers and roofs over their heads instead of education and healthcare,” she said.
When asked about escalating tensions, Mufti reiterated her stance against conflict. “War is not an option,” she stated firmly.
Concluding her remarks, the PDP president urged the government to respond with compassion and accountability. “Those living under the shadow of bombs deserve more than our indifference—they deserve dignity, protection, and peace,” she said.
