Omar Abdullah announces Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia payment for families affected by Pakistani shelling in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those killed in recent Pakistani shelling across the Union Territory.

At least 20 people, including a senior government officer, have lost their lives over the past four days in intensified cross-border hostilities.

The fatalities occurred in the Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu and Baramulla sectors after Indian armed forces carried out strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites across the Line of Control on 7 May. The military operation came in response to last month’s deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.

The toll includes 12 civilians killed in Poonch on Wednesday, followed by two more deaths in Uri and Poonch on Friday. On Saturday morning, five more civilians were killed, among them an additional district development commissioner, in further shelling from the Pakistani side.

“Deeply pained by the loss of innocent lives due to recent shelling from Pakistan. My government is taking every possible measure to minimise the hardship of our people,” the minister said in a post on social media platform X.

He added that although no amount of compensation can truly make up for the loss or trauma endured, the financial assistance is being extended as a gesture of solidarity.

“We stand with every affected family in this hour of grief,” he said.