Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu,(DD): Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will visit the border district of Poonch on May 24 to meet families affected by recent Pakistani shelling.
According to party sources, Gandhi will arrive in Jammu on Saturday morning and then travel to Poonch—likely by helicopter, though alternate plans via Srinagar are also being considered depending on weather and logistics. He will be accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary and J&K affairs in-charge Dr Naseer Hussain.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra confirmed the visit and said Gandhi’s primary objective is to express solidarity with the affected families and understand their concerns firsthand.
An advance team led by AICC secretary Shahnawaz Choudhary and Rajouri MLA Iftikhar Ahmed is already in Poonch overseeing preparations. Karra himself arrived in the area today to coordinate with the administration and local party workers.
This will be Rahul Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of escalating violence. During his previous visit following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Gandhi condemned terrorism and emphasized national unity. His upcoming visit underscores the Congress party’s focus on the safety and well-being of border residents caught in the line of fire(DD)