Mendhar (J-K) (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would dare to open fire.

Shah was addressing an election rally in this border area in the Union territory's Poonch district in support of BJP candidate Murtaza Khan.

He lauded the BJP-led Centre for wiping out terrorism by replacing guns and stones in the hands of youngsters with laptops and said his government would not allow guns to resonate in the hills of Jammu region.

"We will construct more bunkers along the borders for the safety of the people. I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s… Is cross-border firing happening today?

"It is because the earlier rulers here were frightened of Pakistan, but now, Pakistan fears Modi. They would not dare to fire but if they did, they would be given a befitting reply," Shah said.

The BJP leader is on a three-day tour and is scheduled to address four more election rallies in Surankote in Poonch, Thanamandi and Rajouri in Rajouri district and Akhnoor in Jammu district.

Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are taking place for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- in August 2019.

The first phase of polling was held on September 18. The second phase will be held on September 25, followed by the third and final phase on October 1. The election results will be declared on October 8.

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Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.

The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.

Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.

The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.

A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.

The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.

“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.

Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.

“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.

Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.