Poonch, Jan 9: Even after ten years, the family of five persons who lost their lives in cross firing and seven others who were crippled in land mine blasts at Kerni near Line of Control in Poonch are still waiting for government relief.
 At least four persons fell to the bullets in various firing incidents from across the LoC, one lost his life and seven others were crippled when they were blown off in landmine blasts. But barring a few who got a paltry Rs 5,000 to 10,000, most of the dependents of those killed and the victims who lost their body parts were left on the God’s mercy.
 Interestingly, those people who lost their foot and legs in blasts were provided artificial limbs neither by any government nor by the Army.
 According to locals only two to three persons were given a meager amount of Rs five to ten thousand by the army. They said the village witnessed huge loss of life and property in the cross firing across the LoC before 2003.
 Shariefa Bi a house wife was killed when a mortar shell fired from across the border exploded near her when she was coming out of her house. Similarly, Ghulam Muhammad was killed when army men in the area allegedly fired at him when he came out of his house to attend nature’s call during night. Later, the army said “they mistook him as a militant.”
 Gami and Bagh Ali were also killed in similar circumstances. They fell to bullets when the Indian and Pakistan forces were engaged in firing, locals added.
 Shokat Ali, son of Bagh Ali told Greater Kashmir, his family received Rs 1 lakh as ex- gratia after his father was killed by armed men.
 The locals said many were crippled and injured while one person was killed in a landmine blast laid allegedly by the army to check infiltration. They said Muhammad Bashir son of Kadeem Din was blown on way to his fields when he stepped on an IED. Jamal Din who also met a similar accident though survived, but lost his leg in the blast leaving him handi¬capped for the whole life.
 Ahmed Din son of Faqira, Habiba son of Budhiya, Muhammad Din son of Wazir Din and Ghulam Hassan son of Wald Shah also lost their body parts in the IED explosions. Muhammad Din said he was living a hand to mouth life and the government hadn’t provided any relief to him.
 Though these people approached officials for relief, but their cases are gathering dust in the offices for the last ten years.
 When contacted, MLA Poonch, Ajaz Jan said he had taken up the matter with authorities and process for making compensation cases for the affected persons had been started.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST