Srinagar, Jul 30 (KNO): Nearly a decade after losing her eyesight in the 2016 Kashmir unrest, Insha Mushtaq has welcomed the Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to release the funds required to complete her long-pending LPG distributorship, describing the move as a significant step towards fulfilling a promise made years ago. She also appealed for a complete ban on pellet guns across the country, saying nobody should have to experience the pain, disability and trauma she faced.
The government has approved the release of Rs 41.16 lakh for the completion of the LPG distributorship that was sanctioned in Insha's favour in 2018 as part of a rehabilitation initiative. The project, however, had remained stalled for several years due to the non-release of the balance amount required to make the distributorship operational.
Announcing the decision, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the approval reflects the government's commitment to honouring promises made to those awaiting justice.
Sharing the development on social media platform X, the minister said that while justice had been delayed, it had not been denied. He noted that Insha lost her eyesight after being hit by pellets during the 2016 unrest and that although an LPG distributorship had been sanctioned in her favour in 2018, the project remained incomplete because the remaining funds had not been released.
"The present government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has now approved the pending amount to bring the rehabilitation measure to its intended conclusion," Sharma said.
The sanction is expected to pave the way for the completion and operationalisation of the LPG agency, which was envisioned as a means to provide Insha with a sustainable livelihood and financial independence.
Reacting to the announcement, Insha expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and to all those who stood by her during the difficult years following the incident.
She said the decision has renewed hope after a prolonged period of uncertainty and has given her confidence that long-pending commitments can eventually be fulfilled.
Insha, who is now in her BA final year, said that for the last nine years she had faced so many challenges and even met higher-ups for this work, but nothing was done till now.
"This decision has brought me immense relief after years of waiting. I sincerely thank everyone who supported me and never allowed my issue to be forgotten," she said.
Insha also made an emotional appeal for a complete ban on pellet guns across the country. She said her life changed forever because of pellet injuries and stressed that no other individual should have to experience similar pain, disability and trauma.
She urged the authorities to prohibit the use of pellet guns nationwide, saying such a step would help prevent future tragedies and protect innocent civilians from life-altering injuries.
Insha lost her eyesight after sustaining pellet injuries during the 2016 unrest in Kashmir, an incident that drew widespread attention and sparked debate over the use of pellet-firing shotguns for crowd control—(KNO)