The threat of a war with India empties a scenic Pakistani valley of
summer tourists
[May 02, 2025]
By ISHFAQ HUSSAIN
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Neelum Valley in northern Pakistan
attracts some 300,000 tourists each summer who marvel at its natural
beauty. But the threat of war with nearby India has emptied its hotels.
Gunmen last week killed 26 people in the Indian resort town of Pahalgam,
fueling tensions between the nuclear-armed nations after India blamed
Pakistan for the attack, a charge Pakistan denies.
|
Local residents look at the Indian side of Kashmir from an empty
tourists point in Karen, in the Neelum Valley near on the Line of
Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed region of
Kashmir, some 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital of
Pakistan controlled Kashmir, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ishfaq
Hussain) |
|
Neelum Valley is less than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the
Line of Control, the de facto border that divides the disputed
region of Kashmir, making it vulnerable to any military
activity.
Hotel owner Rafaqat Hussain said Thursday the crisis has hit the
tourism industry hard. “Most tourists have left and returned to
their cities because there is a risk of war."
Authorities in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir temporarily
shuttered dozens of tourist resorts following the attack as a
precaution.
No such order has come from Pakistani authorities. Bazaars in
the Pakistani border town of Chakothi were open for business,
although people were concerned.
“First of all, our prayer is for peace, as war always affects
civilians first,” shop owner Bashir Mughal told The Associated
Press, saying he would fight alongside the army in the event of
conflict.
Pakistan used to help residents to build bunkers near their
homes during periods of intense cross-border firing. But the
population has grown and some homes lack shelters. “Local
casualties could be devastating if war breaks out,” Mughal
warned.
Saiqa Naseer, also from Chakothi, shuddered at the childhood
memories of frequent firing across the border. “Now, as a
mother, I find myself facing the same fears,” she said.
She remembered Indian shells striking the picturesque valley
when the two countries came close to war in 2019. She has a
bunker at her home.
“If war comes, we will stay here. We won’t run away,” she said.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
|
