A happy family of four members, with two minor children, were sitting together to eat their dinner in Jhallas village of Poonch late Friday night. But before they could finish their dinner a mortar shell, fired by the Pakistan Army from across the Line of Control( LoC), punctured their rooftop, and shattered all their dreams.
The shell, which landed inside the room, wreaked havoc causing fatal injuries to the children of lesser god.
For last one week, the area was witnessing cross border shelling and the families were advised to stay indoors at the time of shelling.
Despite following the diktat, head of the family, Mohd Younis, received splinter injuries on his legs and was barely saved.
However, his wife Rubina Kousar, son Mohd Faizan and daughter Shabnum Kousar were not lucky enough.
They died on the spot. Younis earned his livelihood by doing labour work and was living hand to mouth earning each day's living to feed his family.
Due to impact of the blast the house hold items flew in air and lay scattered. Two other houses in the vicinity also bore the brunt of the intense shelling from across the line of control.
Eyewitness reports suggested several houses in the area also bore the brunt of heavy shelling while family of Mohd Younis, despite remaining closeted inside their houses became victims.
Local residents in the area claimed the area was witnessing heavy shelling for past couple of days. Shelling intensified late Friday evening and between 9.30 and 10.00 several shells landed in the area in which four members of the family received fatal injuries.
As Younis was undergoing treatment in Jammu Medical College hospital close relatives assembled in his house to perform last rites of his wife and children. Braving heavy rains, the relatives converged at the cemetery and offered last prayers in the memory of all their loved ones. Deputy Commissioner, Poonch Rahul Yadav met elderly father of Mohd Younis in the district hospital and offered all possible assistance to the family in this hour of grief.
Fearing fresh escalation around two dozen families from upper Salotri, late saturday evening migrated to safer places and accommodated by the district authorities in a Govt school building at a safer place. A local army camp was also targeted by the Pakistani army in which two soldiers also received injuries late Friday evening.
Nazir Ahmad, a close relative of Mohd Younis said, "for last eight days shelling was going in the area between Balakote and Shahpur. People were really worried.
Even after taking shelter inside their houses they are getting killed. Mohd Younis, who was shifted to Jammu, lost three members of the family." He said, "there is no ambulance facility available here. The local administration is not taking note of our hardships".
He said, "it appears it will take 6 years to construct bunkers. Venting his ire he said, "talks are happening in air that bunkers have been sanctioned for the area but on ground there is no trace of any bunker in Balakote and Mendhar area". "I appeal to both the governments to come on the dialogue table and settle the issue through a dialogue process. Wars will not solve any issue", he added.