Farzana Mumtaz
Since the deadly Uri attack on Indian army base, surgical attacks by India on alleged militant launching pads in Pakistan, the borders have been erupting on daily basis. LOC, International Border in Jammu and Kashmir are the worst hit with the civillian population paying biggest price of continued hostilities.
Scores of civillians have been killed in both countries on account of unabated border shelling .
Pertinently, a number of army men guarding border too have lost their lives due to these continued skirmishes .
On the other hand, majority of families have left the border areas to safer places due to continued upheaval on borders .
Experts are worried about escalations of this heightened, deadly nature on Indo-Pak border .
On a single day on Tuesday, 8 civilians were killed as Pakistan shells landed on villages in Samba, Rajouri, including two children in the age group of four to five, when Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba and Rajouri whereas 22 people have been injured.
Few days back, Pakistan also stated that severeal civillians were killed when shells fired from India landed in Marriage party in its administered Kashmir.
Mir Imran, a human rights Defender stated – ” The deadly clashes on border on routine basis since past few weeks have destroyed the fragile peace.It is a matter of great misfortune that large number of civillians in both countries especially those belonging to divided state of Jammu and Kashmir have been killed, and a sizeable number have been wounded.All these tough conditions are leading to exodus of common population from the Border areas to safer places.It is high time that voices of sanity, peace and humanity in both countries get their acts together in order to save this region from further destruction.”
Importantly, the academic picture is also taking a hit in border areas . Government recently ordered closure of 174 schools situated along border, LoC in Jammu region.
Borders escalating at dramatic pace, killing spree all signal that India and Pakistan confrontation with every passing moment is getting uglier and dangerous which could burn entire region.
