Yogesh
Jammu, May 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived here on Thursday evening on a two-day Jammu and Kashmir visit.
According to the details available, Shah would review J&K’s security situation ahead of Amaranth Yatra, which is commencing from first week of July and reach out to shelling-hit people in Poonch.
He would also meet personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) in Poonch and “pat their backs” for thwarting the designs of the enemy, said an official.
This marks Amit Shah’s first visit to the Union Territory since the launch of “Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
Upon arrival, Shah was received by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other senior officials at technical airport Jammu and proceeded to Raj Bhawan, Jammu where he chaired a high-level security review meeting.
“Top officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and civil administration are participated in the meeting,” an official said.
“The meeting focused on the ongoing ‘Operation Sindoor,’ counter-terrorism measures, the anti-infiltration grid, and preparations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.”
On May 30, the Union Home Minister will travel to Poonch district, which bore the brunt of Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling between May 7 and 10.
The shelling led to the loss of lives and also damaged nearly 2,000 structures, including residential homes, commercial buildings, and religious sites such as the Singh Sabha Gurdwara.
During his visit to Poonch, the Home Minister will meet families affected by the Pakistan shelling at Dak Bungalow, distribute appointment letters to the next of kin of those killed, and assess the damage to religious sites.
He will also visit a BSF camp at Khanetar, approximately nine kilometers from Poonch town, to interact with jawans and review border security preparedness.
The visit follows Shah’s earlier trips to Jammu and Kashmir on April 6 and April 22, the latter in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
During his April 23 visit to Baisaran meadows, the site of the terror attack, Shah assessed the situation, paid tributes to the victims, and assured their families of the government’s support.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.
Security has been significantly bolstered across Jammu and Poonch for the Home Minister’s visit, with additional checkpoints and personnel deployed to ensure safety.
The government has already disbursed Rs 6 lakh from the MHA and Rs 10 lakh from the UT Government as ex gratia relief to the families of those killed in the shelling, though calls for increased compensation for property damage persist.
The Home Minister’s visit is expected to address both immediate security concerns and long-term strategies to strengthen border management and counter-terrorism efforts in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah is scheduled to return to Delhi on Friday evening after concluding his engagements in Poonch. (KNO)
