Sifting through the rubble of latest Pakistan-India conflict
NEELUM VALLEY, Pakistan: Two weeks after Pakistan and India's most intense military clashes in decades, clearance teams along the border comb through fields for unexploded shells so residents can safely build back from the rubble of their homes.
Around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed in the four-day conflict that spread beyond divided Kashmir, over which the neighbors have fought three major wars.
The military confrontation — involving intense tit-for-tat drone, missile, aerial combat and artillery exchanges — came to an abrupt end after US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire, which is still holding.
On the Pakistan side of Kashmir, called Azad Kashmir, 500 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including nearly 50 in the picturesque Neelum Valley, where two people were killed.
'There is a possibility that there are unexploded shells still embedded in the ground,' said local official Muhammad Kamran, who has been helping clear educational institutions near the border.
Unexploded ordnance dating from conflicts past killed several children in 2021 and 2022 in Azad Kashmir.
Headmaster Muhammad Zubair follows a mine detector into a classroom of his high school in the valley where a writing on a whiteboard standing in the debris reads 'we are brave' in English.
'Although the fighting has stopped, people still hold so much fear and anxiety,' he told AFP.
'Despite calling them back to school, children are not showing up.'
Abdul Rasheed, a power department official, said he worked 'day and night' to repair power lines damaged by Indian firing.
Over the years, investment in roads has helped to create a modest tourism sector in the Neelum Valley, attracting Pakistanis who come to marvel at the Himalayan mountains.
Hotels reopened on Monday, but they remain deserted in the middle of peak season.
Alif Jan, 76, who has lived through multiple clashes between the two sides, is yet to call her grandchildren back to her border village after sending them away during the latest hostilities.
'It was a very difficult time. It was like doomsday had arrived,' she said.
The children were sent to Azad Kashmir's main city of Muzaffarabad, usually safe but this time targeted with an Indian air strike.
Jan wants to be certain the fighting doesn't resume and that she has enough to feed them before they eventually return.
In a schoolyard, she collects a 20-kilogram (45-pound) bag of flour, a can of oil, and some medicine from a local NGO.
Thousands of other families are still waiting to be relocated or compensated for damage.
'We have identified 5,000 families,' said Fawad Aslam, the program manager of local aid group.
'Our first priority is families who suffered direct damage, while the second priority is those who were forced to migrate — people who had to leave their homes and are now living in camps or temporary shelters.'
For 25-year-old Numan Butt whose brother was killed by shrapnel, the aid is little consolation.
'This conflict keeps coming upon us; this oppression is ongoing,' he told AFP.
'It is a good thing that they have agreed to peace, but the brother I have lost will never come back.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan urges OIC to transform its pronouncements on Kashmir into ‘tangible actions'
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's deputy prime minister has urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to transform its pronouncements on the disputed Kashmir region into 'tangible actions,' the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday, following a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 51st session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, which came in the backdrop of Israeli military campaign against Iran and Pakistan's recent military conflict with India. While Pakistan's brief standoff with India ended in a ceasefire last month, Israel's attacks on Iran were followed by US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, raising fears of further instability in an already volatile region. Addressing envoys of OIC member states, Pakistan's deputy premier and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, described New Delhi's actions in Indian-administered Kashmir as a replication of the Israeli designs in Palestine, referring to alleged human rights violations and attempts to change demographics of the disputed Himalayan territory. 'The OIC's pronouncements on Jammu and Kashmir are a major source of support to the Kashmir cause,' Dar said. 'However, in view of the mounting challenges to the Kashmiri struggle, the OIC should transform its pronouncements into tangible actions. The Organization should scale up its efforts for mitigation of the Kashmiri people's sufferings and finding a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.' Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from Britain in 1947. Both countries have fought two of their four wars over the disputed region, which is ruled in part but claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan. The latest conflict between the two neighbors was also triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pahalgam resort town, which killed 26 tourists on April 22. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies. New Delhi has long accused Pakistan of fanning an insurgency on its side of Kashmir. Islamabad denies this and maintains that it only offers moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris. Dar said Indian authorities exploited the Pahalgam attack to launch a massive crackdown in Kashmir. 'There are reports that over 2800 Kashmiris were arrested or questioned in the immediate aftermath of the attack,' he said. 'The draconian Public Safety Act was slapped on at least 75 of them. The police carried out extensive searches at multiple residences of the locals. Around three dozen houses were razed to ground through the use of explosives.' The Pakistani deputy PM said the disturbing developments in Indian-administered Kashmir have once again shown that a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute is imperative for a lasting peace in South Asia. 'The region is home to over one-fifth of the world population. It could ill-afford the consequences of irresponsible Indian actions,' he said, urging the OIC and its members to use their influence to urge India to improve the human rights situation, release political prisoners and implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
GCC Sec-Gen: Direct Targeting of Iranian Nuclear Facilities Risks Regional Escalation
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi emphasized that the events in the region today, including the direct targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States, will escalate tensions and impact regional security and stability. He also stated that the GCC reaffirms the statement issued at the 48th Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council regarding regional developments and reiterates its condemnation of anything that threatens the security and stability of the region, SPA reported. Albudaiwi also stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, for all parties to make joint efforts to de-escalate tensions, to adopt diplomacy as an effective means of resolving conflicts, and to exercise the highest levels of self-restraint to spare the region and its people the dangers of war.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan says US strikes on Iran nuclear sites violate international law, IAEA statute
ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities violate international law and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) statute, the Pakistan prime minister's office said on Sunday, as experts warned of their economic and security implications for Islamabad. The strikes, which targeted three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz early Sunday, came amid Israel's ongoing campaign against Iran's nuclear program, which Israeli officials claim is nearing weaponization, an allegation Iran denies, insisting its activities remain peaceful and under international safeguards. While the amount of damage remained unclear, the strikes have fueled fears of a wider conflict, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying the US had 'crossed a very big red line,' the time for diplomacy was over and Iran had the right to defend itself. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against retaliation. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday afternoon and conveyed Pakistan's condemnation of the US attacks, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities that were under the safeguards of the IAEA, according to Sharif's office. 'These attacks constituted a serious violation of international law and the IAEA Statute,' Sharif's office said. 'While noting Iran's right to self-defense, as enshrined under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the prime minister stressed upon the need to immediately return to dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path forward.' Sharif called for urgent collective efforts to de-escalate the situation and reiterated Pakistan's readiness to play a constructive role in this context, according to his office. President Pezeshkian conveyed his appreciation for Pakistan's support to Iran. Pakistan's foreign office earlier said Islamabad condemned the strikes and was 'gravely concerned' at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region. 'Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond,' it said, adding that Iran had the right to defend itself under the United Nations (UN) Charter and urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilian lives and 'immediately bring the conflict to an end.' 'Recourse to dialogue, diplomacy, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter remain the only viable pathway to resolve the crises in the region.' Tensions flared on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes against what it described as Iran's military leadership and nuclear infrastructure. Iran, a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), has since retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli targets. The United States, Israel's closest ally, has now directly joined the campaign. Experts have warned that the latest US strikes could have 'catastrophic' economic and security implications for Pakistan. 'The economic implications of a wider war would be catastrophic for Pakistan. First and foremost, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, our major concern will be the import of oil, as most of our oil supplies come from the Middle East,' Shakeel Ramay, a Pakistani economist, told Arab News. 'This would severely impact our economy since a significant portion of our power grid is powered by imported oil and gas from the region. The disruption would affect electricity production and have far-reaching consequences for our transportation network as well. The government will need to manage rising prices in the short term.' Lt. Gen. (retired) Naeem Lodhi, a former Pakistani defense secretary, said Pakistan had so far acted 'wisely' by condemning the attacks on Iran and offering to mediate the crisis. 'At this point, Pakistan needs to remain alert and ensure that it does not get directly involved. It must not allow any country — on either side — to use its soil, airspace, or any other assets,' he told Arab News. 'Although staying completely uninvolved is difficult due to our geographic proximity, it is still the most desirable course of action.' If the war expanded, Lodhi said, Pakistan would face 'serious challenges.' 'Many Pakistanis believe that if Iran is defeated in this war, it could create long-term problems for Pakistan,' he said. 'A new regime in Iran might not be friendly toward Pakistan and could even become hostile, bringing yet another threat to our borders. That is a key concern Pakistan must keep in mind.' The crisis also raises questions about how Islamabad will navigate its delicate balancing act between Iran, other Gulf partners, and the United States, which remains one of Pakistan's largest trading partners and a critical source of military and economic assistance. 'Certain demands may be made that Pakistan will find hard to ignore. For instance, if Arab countries become involved — which is likely — there could be strong pressure on Pakistan to support them in some capacity, whether through logistics, access to airspace, or even bases,' Lodhi said. 'While it may be relatively easier to say no to the United States despite its influence, refusing multiple allied Arab countries will be much more difficult. Still, Pakistan's current leadership, especially the military leadership, is well aware of these dangers and will likely try to keep the country out of the conflict.'
