Rahul Gandhi to Sponsor Education of 22 Children Affected by Pak Shelling

The Congress sources here said that Gandhi will cover the educational expenses of 22 children until graduation, with the first financial aid installment due on July 30.

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha had during his daylong visit to Poonch on May 24 relocated the places of destruction including a gurudwara, a temple and an Islamic seminary and some private homes and met the families of some of those killed in the cross-LoC shelling.

He had also visited a public school in Poonch, the city at a stone’s throw from the de facto border worst hit in the Pakistani firing and shelling. Two of the students of Christ Public School – 12-year-old twins Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima — were among the victims. Following his visit, the Congress leader had said, “I stand firmly with the victimized families. I will definitely raise their demands and issues at the national level.”

Confirming it, JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra said that since significant civilian casualties and property damage occurred in Poonch and Rajouri due to Pakistani shelling between May 7 and 10, Gandhi had, after his Poonch visit, directed local Congress leaders to compile a list of school-going children who lost one or both parents, particularly breadwinners. Karra, currently on a three-day tour of the frontier region, told reporters that a list of 22 such children from Poonch has been submitted to Gandhi, with the possibility of including more children by the end of his visit.

Karra announced he is in Poonch to deliver financial aid sent by the Leader of Opposition to support the education of these children, emphasizing that the initiative aims to ensure their studies remain uninterrupted. End it