MUZAFFARABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Monday paid tribute to people living along the Line of Control (LoC) for braving Indian aggression with a valiant spirit and assured them of compensation for their losses.

Talking to media in Chinari town, some 10 kilometres away from the LoC in Chakothi sector, he also eulogised the armed forces of the country for defending the geographical boundaries of the country with valour.

“I know people have suffered huge losses due to ruthless Indian shelling and the federal government will compensate them,” he said.

Take a look: Relative calm prevails along LoC amid sporadic firing

The minister was accompanied by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regional president Barrister Sultan Mahmood, senior vice president Khawaja Farooq Ahmed and other party leaders on the occasion.

Gandapur leads rally in Muzaffarabad to express solidarity with armed forces and people of India-held Kashmir

He announced that the government would expedite construction of community protection bunkers for the LoC residents, apart from paying special attention to provision of health and education facilities.

The federal government, he announced, would include all affected LoC residents among beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme. Apart from that, they would also be provided Insaf Health Cards, he added. “I assure you that we will not leave you alone in your testing times,” he said.

Also read: Thousands flee AJK villages as LoC tensions escalate

The minister maintained that the sacrifices being rendered by the Kashmiris and the armed forces of Pakistan would not go in vain.

“Our martyrs and heroes will always remain alive in our memories,” he said.

Mr Gandapur directed the local administration to compile and dispatch reports about losses caused by Indian shelling to him at the earliest so that all affected LoC residents could avail themselves of the relief packages meant for them.

Earlier in Muzaffarabad, Mr Gandapur led a rally on a main thoroughfare to express solidarity with the armed forces and the people of India-held Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, he paid tribute to the armed forces for giving a befitting response to Indian aggression and thus proving that Pakistan was an invincible state.

He said the people of Pakistan and Kashmir were ever ready to contribute to defence of their motherland by fighting the enemy side by side their armed forces.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had proven himself to be a judicious and even-tempered leader by giving the message of peace to India.

“We want peace because wars do not bring solution to any problem… However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness,” he declared.

Mr Gandapur pointed out that Indian forces had crossed all limits of brutalities and state terrorism in held Kashmir.

Nevertheless, he said, India had failed to break the will of the freedom. “Let me reiterate in Muzaffarabad that the government and the people of Pakistan will continue to stand by Kashmiris with full devotion,” he added.

He maintained that the armed forces of Pakistan had given a clear message to India that it should not test their professionalism and preparedness.

“If ever India tries to resort to any misadventure it will be greeted with a befitting reply,” he warned.

Mr Gandapur pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted the course of hostilities to woo voters at home but his machinations had failed, as almost all opposition parties in India had endorsed Pakistan’s standpoint.

He expressed satisfaction that global human rights watchdogs and European parliamentarians had taken notice of massive human rights violations in held Kashmir and time was not far when India would have to give up its illegal occupation of the territory.

Earlier, Mr Mahmood, Mr Ahmed and several others also addressed the rally.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2019