SIALKOT, Oct 26: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid has assured people affected by unprovoked Indian firing on villages along the Working Boundary that the government would make compensation payments to them.

Mr Hamid was talking to the affected people during his visit to Wada Dhamala village of Pasrur tehsil on Saturday.

The 12-day unprovoked firing by Indian security forces affected many villages in Bajwat, Chaprar, Charwah, Suchitgarh, Umraanwali, Shakargarh and Bajra Garhi sectors along the Sialkot Working Boundary.

The firing has killed hundreds of cattle and damaged a number of houses and cattle sheds. Mr Hamid accused Indian security forces of violating international laws by targeting civilians.

He said the Pakistan government was trying to build international pressure on India to stop it from violating truce agreements.

He said the morale of people living in border villages was very high.

The affected people informed the minister that villagers were totally dependent on their seasonal crops and that because of the Indian shelling they were not able to harvest their standing paddy crops.

The minister was informed that people in Abiyaal Dogar, Thakarpur and Deera-Kingra villages of Shakargarh sector had vacated their houses and moved to safe places due to Indian firing.

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