All is well in PoK, claims local residents

Even though Islamabad has dismissed as “fabrication of truth” India’s claim that its special forces carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch-pads across the LoC, Muzaffarabad and other major towns and cities in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir were quite and calm on Thursday.

However, people living in the areas close to the LoC, including Chakoti, Lipa, Hattian, Neelam, Kotli and Rawlakot were worried, fearing worse could come to them in the event of war breaking out between the two sides, said a resident of Chinari on the phone. However, journalist Ghulamullah Kyani said that he interviewed several residents of Neelam valley on Thursday who said that they are not worried at all. “I’m just back in Muzaffarabad after visiting several villages in the Neelam valley. No one there seemed to be scared. In fact, people there and here in Muzaffarabad as well are worried over what is happening in the Kashmir Valley and want to help the victims of violence there,” he said over the phone from Muzaffarabad.

Mr Kyani quoted two local residents Khawaja Shafiq of Athmuqam and Rafiq Marshal of Lawat as saying, “We will fight alongside the Pakistan Army in the war with India.” Mr Kyani told this newspaper, “I would say no one seems to be worried in AJK. People openly and publicly pledge they would fight alongside the Pakistan Army if war breaks out with India. They are more worried about the plight of the people of the Valley.” He further said that this was for the first time that all political parties of the PoK were united on an issue and, in fact, the local unit of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) is planning to organise a long march on the LoC “to show solidarity with the Pakistan army and people of Indian-held Kashmir”.

But Hafsa Masoodi, also a resident of Muzaffarabad, who now lives in Islamabad said, “Muzaffarabad mein masla nahi hai, laikin qareebi sarhadi ilaqon mein loag bahut ghabrayey howe hain” (It is not an issue in Muzaffarabad but the people in the surrounding border areas are very frightened). She said if active hostilities break out between the two sides, it is the people of the frontier region of what is officially known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) who will die and their houses and other properties will be destroyed.

Reports from Muzaffarabad said that the schools and other educational institutions in the PoK’s border-belt have been closed indefinitely “as a precautionary measures.”

Though not much military activity was underway, the Pakistan army has moved in and put in readiness Chinese and Swiss anti-aircraft guns at places in the border areas, reports said.

Indian authorities said that the surgical strikes which were coordinated by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with the Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag were carried out in Bhimber, Hot Spring, Kel and Lipa sectors of PoK. Kyani said that artillery shelling was going on in Kel area of Bedlam valley, Lipa facing Karnah area of J&K’s Kupwara and Bhimber on Thursday morning. Islamabad termed the activity as “existential phenomenon” of cross border fire which, it alleged, was initiated and conducted by India and that the same was “as per rules of the engagement strongly and befittingly responded by Pakistani troops.”

Athar Masood Wani, also a Kashmiri journalist based in Rawalpindi, said,” All is normal on this side. People are busy in their routine work. However, defence actions have been initiated.” He did not elaborate, however. But Kyani said that he was told by some people in PoK’s border areas that they have asked the Pakistan army to provide them weapons “so that they can fight the Indians.”

Asked if any militants were killed in the Indian actions, Aslam Mir of Muzaffarabad said that the Pakistani authorities have said that two of its soldiers were killed in the “unprovoked firing” along the LoC in Bhimber, Kel and Lipa sectors.