Tangdhar, Kupwara | May 18 : “They never chose war, yet they live its horror daily,” said PDP President Mehbooba Mufti during her visit to shell-affected villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir.
Touring the devastated areas of Tangdhar, Mufti met families displaced by cross-border shelling, their homes reduced to rubble.
“These images carry silent screams — of loss, fear, and a desperate longing for peace,” she remarked, visibly moved by the destruction.
She was accompanied by party General Secretary and former minister Abdul Haq Khan, MP Kupwara Mir Fayaz, MLA Pulwama Waheed Para, District President Kupwara, and senior district leaders including Agha Mohammad, Firdous Ahmed, Shah Khursheed, and others.
Calling for urgent intervention, Mufti demanded enhanced compensation, housing assistance, individual bunkers for residents, and above all, a permanent ceasefire between the two armies.
Speaking in Tangdhar, she said:
“The people here are suffering immense loss. Many complain that while their homes may appear structurally intact, the interiors have been badly damaged due to shelling. Yet, revenue department officials have not assessed these damages properly. The current compensation of Rs 1.2 lakh is simply not enough. The government must increase financial aid.
Their houses are damaged — and they don’t even want war. They want peace. What is their fault if a war breaks out? It’s tragic that, instead of asking for schools and hospitals, they are forced to demand individual bunkers. This is the failure of both nations.
When these residents approach banks for insurance claims on their homes and shops, they’re told, ‘This is a time of war.’ If that is the case, the government should formally declare it a war zone and provide a proper rehabilitation package. I urge both the central and state governments to introduce a special relief package for the restoration of this region, and to ensure that individual bunkers are made available to every affected family.”
Commenting on the government’s recent diplomatic initiative, Mufti added:
“Sending parliamentarians to various countries to explain the rationale behind Operation Sindoor is a welcome and timely step. In today’s world, where war yields only destruction and is no longer a viable option — not even as a last resort — diplomacy remains our most effective tool. However, it would have been more appropriate and democratic if the government had also convened a special session of Parliament to discuss the matter internally, while simultaneously dispatching delegations abroad.”
