Jammu, May 12 — Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday visited Kheri Keran village in Bantalab, Jammu, to offer condolences to the family of Zakir Hussain, who was killed in Pakistani shelling on May 7. Sinha assured the bereaved family of full administrative support and assistance during the visit.
Hussain, aged 45, lost his life and two others, including a young girl, were injured when Pakistani forces opened fire on the village, located on the outskirts of Jammu. The shelling occurred shortly after the Indian Army launched 'Operation Sindoor', a retaliatory strike targeting nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. These strikes came in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives.
The Lieutenant Governor, accompanied by former minister and BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma, visited the grieving family and expressed solidarity with them. “Offered my heartfelt condolences and assured the family of all assistance and support from administration,” Sinha wrote in a post on X.
During the visit, family members of the deceased demanded that Zakir Hussain be officially recognised as a martyr and that his name be added to the list of martyrs since 1947. They also urged the government to allot a petrol pump to the family for sustained livelihood support.
Calling the current Rs 10 lakh ex gratia insufficient, the family appealed for enhanced compensation to help secure the future of Hussain’s children.
Meanwhile, the region witnessed its first peaceful night in over two weeks, with no reported ceasefire violations. The calm followed a mutual agreement between India and Pakistan announced on Saturday to cease all military actions across land, air, and sea with immediate effect, ending days of heightened cross-border hostilities.