Pakistani Kashmiris ride a van heading towards the town of Titrinot, some 30 kilometers north of Battal sector close of Pakistan-India border. – Photo by AFP
Pakistani Kashmiris ride a van heading towards the town of Titrinot, some 30 kilometers north of Battal sector close of Pakistan-India border. – Photo by AFP

TITRINOT: Pakistani villagers in Kashmir living on the de facto border with India say they are trapped indoors, terrified by heavy exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Indian troops.

In the village of Darmassal, on the edge of the Line of Control and just metres away from Indian positions, boats which usually ferry people across the Poonch river have stayed moored since Wednesday because of heavy Indian firing, residents say.

“We are scared. We can’t come out because the area is under constant fire,” villager Shaukat Butt, 38, told AFP while hiding in a house.

“We used to cross the river by boat but yesterday Indian soldiers fired at our boat, so everybody is confined inside now and the boats have stopped,” he said.

Darmassal is part of the Battal region, where Pakistan accused Indian troops of opening fire and killing a Pakistani soldier on Thursday, the third cross-border incident since Sunday.

The Indian army post stands on the mountainside opposite the village and a Pakistani post lies beneath it, in front of the village and the river.

“I am very worried about my children. I want this firing to stop,” said Nazia Bibi, 35, who left her three children with her husband in the nearby main town of Titrinot and went to Hajira, another border town 12 kilometres away, to see her parents.

She says she is now too scared to return to Titrinot.

“I want to go back to my husband and children but can’t due to this firing. There is constant firing at the civilian population by the Indian side,” she said.

“We and our children are not safe in these conditions, we want peace,” she added.

A road between Titrinot and Hajira, which is the main route for trucks carrying supplies to and from India and Pakistan, has also been closed due to the firing.

“I started my restaurant at this hotel five years ago and did good business during the time of ceasefire. But from yesterday (Wednesday) onwards, I have had to save my own life and there is no business,” said Ishtiaq Ahmed, the owner of a roadside cafe.

“If this firing starts again, we all will become homeless,” he said.

A senior government official in the area, Mushtaq Ahmed, said that the firing had restricted the movement of around 40,000 people.

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...
Tribunals’ failure
Updated 19 Nov, 2024

Tribunals’ failure

With election tribunals having failed to fulfil their purpose, it isn't surprising that Pakistan has not been able to stabilise.
Balochistan MPC
19 Nov, 2024

Balochistan MPC

WHILE immediate threats to law and order must be confronted by security forces, the long-term solution to...
Firm tax measures
19 Nov, 2024

Firm tax measures

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is ready to employ force to make everyone and every sector in Pakistan pay their...