Tensions between India and Pakistan are once again spiralling, with residents living along the Line of Control (LoC) scrambling to prepare for possible hostilities following the deadly terror attack in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam region last month.
Villagers in both Churanda, in Uri sector on the Indian side, and Chakothi, across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), are fortifying their homes with underground bunkers and improvised shelters in anticipation of cross-border firing.
The attack on 22 April in Baisaran—where armed terrorists opened fire on tourists—has stirred grim memories of previous escalations, most notably the 2019 Pulwama bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. The renewed tensions have disrupted the relative calm since the February 2021 ceasefire agreement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Fear in the shadow of conflict
Though daily life continues in Churanda—with children heading to school and morning prayers proceeding as usual—residents say unease lies just beneath the surface. “Fear is running high,” said Farooq Ahmad, a schoolteacher. “Even though children are attending classes, it is the parents who are most worried.”
Churanda, which sits within visible range of both Indian and Pakistani military outposts, has suffered casualties in earlier crossfire. “At least 18 people have died here over the years,” reported Ahmad.
Abdul Aziz, a 25-year-old local, said his village of 1,500 people has just six bunkers. “Both sides are threatening each other. If there is a border escalation, where will we go? Fear is prevalent, as this village is the worst hit,” he said.
Building bunkers across the LoC
Across the border in Chakothi, similar preparations are under way. Residents have begun constructing concrete bunkers adjacent to or beneath their homes, bracing for a potential exchange of fire.
Faizan Anayat, who is visiting Kashmir from Rawalpindi, said families have little choice. “The villagers have built bunkers in their homes to take shelter whenever there is firing,” he maintained.
Mohammad Sajjad, a resident of Balkote village in Uri, voiced his anxiety over the growing talk of war, recalling the trauma his family endured during previous cross-border shelling. “We spent two years on a bed due to injuries. Those calling for war from TV studios should come and see how we live here. We don’t even have bunkers to hide in,” he said, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians living along the Line of Control.
Nearby, 73-year-old Mohammad Nazir was seen taking a break from bunker-building to attend Friday prayers at the local mosque, as children played cricket nearby. “We are not afraid of anything. Every one of our kids is ready,” Nazir said.
Authorities in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, have reportedly set up an emergency fund of PKR 1 billion (approx. USD 3.5 million), ensuring the supply of food, water and medical supplies to LoC villages.
Gulzar Fatima, head of the Pakistan Red Crescent’s Kashmir branch, said the humanitarian agency had “quickly dispersed and deployed staff and supplies, including first aid providers,” in light of the deteriorating security scenario.
Ceasefire agreement under strain
The February 2021 ceasefire understanding, which had brought some respite after years of intermittent shelling, now appears on fragile ground. The truce itself was a revival of a 2003 agreement that had been repeatedly violated over the years.
According to Indian defence officials, unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops has resumed in recent weeks, particularly in sensitive forward areas.
Tensions have been further stoked by Islamabad’s accusations earlier this week that India was planning a military strike on Pakistani territory. Pakistani Information Minister Attatullah Tarar claimed on X that his country had “credible intelligence” suggesting India would launch military action within “the next 24–36 hours” based on “baseless and concocted allegations” of Pakistan’s role in the Pahalgam attack.
Tarar also warned that New Delhi’s alleged decision to “tread the dangerous path of irrationality and confrontation… will have catastrophic consequences for the complete region and beyond.”
India’s response hardens
India, meanwhile, has taken a hard line in response to the Pahalgam strike. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to determine the mode, timing, and targets for a counter-offensive.
“It is our national resolve to deliver a crushing blow to terrorism,” the Prime Minister declared in a televised address.
New Delhi has also announced a series of punitive diplomatic and strategic measures. These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari integrated check post, cancellation of all Pakistani nationals’ visas, and a reduction in the diplomatic staff strength of Pakistan’s High Commission in India.
In compliance with India’s directive, Pakistani nationals have begun returning home through the Attari-Wagah border over the past several days.
As both sides dig in—figuratively and literally—residents on either side of the LoC now find themselves once again caught between rhetoric, rockets, and the unrelenting spectre of war.
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