Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 14 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sat Sharma visited the families of the victims who lost their lives in heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan in recent days.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Sharma said that Pakistan targeted civilian areas. Further referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the BJP leader also asserted that every action of Pakistan will be given a befitting reply.

'...We met the families who have lost their loved ones in Pakistani shelling... Pakistan targeted civilian areas... PM Modi clearly said that the fight between Pakistan and India is for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and terrorism, and trade cannot go on simultaneously... Every action of Pakistan will be given a befitting reply,' BJP President Sat Sharma said.

Heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, had caused damage to homes and religious sites in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, Uri, and Poonch.

On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Sub District Hospital in Kupwara to meet civilians who were injured in recent shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

CM Abdullah also inspected community bunkers in Tangdhar and visited the shelling-affected areas.

After meeting residents affected by cross-border shelling in Kupwara, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the government will compensate the people after the damage assessment is completed.

'By God's grace, we haven't lost any lives here, but of course, there is a loss of public property like houses, shops, and madrasas. The District Collector is with us. They will do the damage assessment. The assessment will be completed by today or tomorrow, and then the government will compensate the people accordingly. The immunity bunkers were made, but we didn't need them for a long time. And we will try to build individual bunkers around the border and LoC areas,' Abdullah told the media.

The J-K Chief Minister visited the Pakistani shelling-affected areas in Tangdhar and said that the residents affected have shown 'remarkable courage'.

After India and Pakistan came to an understanding of the cessation of hostilities, life slowly returned to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)