M S Nazki
Early Times Report
Balakote (Poonch), Dec 21: A seventh class student of Dharati, Balakote, who was wounded in Pak shelling in August last, today lost his battle for life at Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu. Shahnawaz Khan, son of Iftikhar Ahmad Khan of Dharati, was seriously injured on August 15, 2015 in the Pak shelling in which six persons were killed and six others wounded. Shahnawaz was on among the injured. Shahnawaz's father Iftikhar said, "I left no stone unturned to save the life of my son but I could not save him because the government provided me no help. I am a poor man living in a kucha house. I have spent nearly Rs 5 lakh on the treatment of my son. This money was borrowed by me from my acquaintances." He burst into tears when he said his could have survived had he been given specialised treatment outside the state. He, however, said that the GMCH doctors, who attended on Shahnawaz, had helped him in one way or the other. "I have been given no compensation or any sort of help from the concerned authorities. My son was admitted in cabin No 5 of GMCH ICU. Two days ago, when health minister paid a visit to cabin No 4, I approached him with the file of my son and asked for some help, but he didn't listen to my plea," he asserted. When contacted, in charge ADC, Poonch, Shafeeq Ahmed said the government had given an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of the dead and Rs 5,000 to the injured. Poonch DC M H Malik said "if any shelling victim approaches me, I will definitely check the concerned files and ensure every genuine help to him in the shortest possible time". |
