New Delhi, Jul 28: In an intervention during the Lok Sabha discussion on ‘Operation Sindoor’, Member of Parliament from Poonch, Mian Altaf Ahmad, raised concerns about the plight of civilians affected by the recent conflagration between India and Pakistan and demanded justice for victims living in areas near the Line of Control (LoC).
Altaf, who represents the region where the Pahalgam terror attack occurred, described the deep pain and mourning among locals after 26 civilians were killed in the tragedy.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir spontaneously came out to condemn the attack, with many unable to eat or sleep for days in grief.
The Member of Parliament also highlighted the suffering in his constituency during the exchange of fire between India and Pakistan.
He said shelling from across the border caused severe damage in both Poonch and Rajouri districts, killing 17 civilians, including children and elderly people.
Altaf recalled how Poonch town, despite having experienced past wars, had never seen such devastation, forcing residents to flee and leaving it deserted, like a ghost town.
He said that in Rajouri, three more civilians were killed, including a government official who was assisting locals during the operation.
Altaf said that religious places, homes, and businesses were damaged in the shelling and urged that such horrors should never be repeated.
He appealed to the government to provide additional compensation to the affected families.
The Member of Parliament also raised the case of a Gujjar youth, Pervez, who was killed in Police firing and demanded a proper investigation into the case and justice to his family.
He said that the failure to ensure accountability could shake the local population’s faith in the administration.
Altaf urged the Home Minister to release those innocent civilians who were arrested during and after the operation, and called for improved emergency infrastructure like ambulances and bunkers in the border areas.
He requested the extension of railway connectivity from Jammu and Srinagar to Rajouri and Poonch, which he said would help integrate these remote border towns more closely with the rest of the country.
