Attacks from both sides of the Line of Control have escalated in recent days, leaving Kashmiri civilians caught in between terrorized.
Last week a teenage boy and a man were killed and at least 13 others were injured as Indian troops continued to pound civilian populations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand, India has accused Pakistan of causing damage on the other side of LOC. It alleged that a school was hit by a mortar causing authorities to vacate the school.
It is reported that the students and families in the Ganya village have left their homes out of fear and have moved to the town of Nowshera in Kashmir. However, no proof has been provided to support these claims.
Read more: Violations will not be tolerated: Pakistan shows India
“It was less than a minute when I heard cries that a speeding army vehicle had hit my granddaughter. We cried to them to leave her where she lay, she is dead, but they didn’t listen and instead took her to the Zainapora hospital, where doctors declared her brought in dead.” Grandfather of the slain girl
This week an Indian army vehicle in Aglar village ran over a little girl, causing her to pass away. The girl, Arooba Farooq, was a student in the second grade and was on her way to school at the time of the accident. Some sources allege that the hit was deliberate, and a FIR has been issued against the driver of the vehicle. News of her death sparked violent protests in the area and tear-gas had to be used to disperse the crowd.
An 8-year-old girl was killed and her mother was wounded when a shell landed on their house last Monday in the Poonch area of Indian occupied Kashmir. The shelling was conducted by Pakistan army according to senior Indian police officer S.P. Vaid.
The illusion of ceasefires
“The vehicle fell into the river and four soldiers embraced martyrdom in the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire violation,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Despite the setting of ceasefire agreements, both countries engage in unprovoked violates regularly.
Recent ceasefire violations by Indian soldiers caused the deaths of four Pakistani troops on the 16th of July. The attack caused their vehicle to fall into the river.
Read more: The sacrifice of Burhan Wani- One year on
On the opposite side, an Indian Army soldier was killed as Pakistan violated ceasefire agreements on Tuesday. The soldier was reportedly killed by sniper fire.
Each government is accusing the other of violating ceasefires, while both of them appear to be guilty of doing so.
Business as usual
The plight of the Kashmiris – being stuck in the middle of the battle between Pakistan and India is no new experience for the civilians present there. More than 44 thousand civilians have been killed in the political turmoil of the 1980s.
“We must learn from history, there is no military solution for the Kashmir issue…we have to understand this reality.” Gen. Pervez Musharraf