Nowshera tense after Army releases video targeting Pak posts

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Nowshera, May 23

With the release of a video by the Indian Army today showing destruction of Pakistani army posts across the Line of Control in this sector, tension has gripped this border town as people fear backlash from across the border in the coming days.

The situation on the LoC is already fragile and residents of around seven border villages are living in migrant camps.b After the Army released the video and it was circulated in the social media, people at the relief camps feared for the safety of their family members, who had gone to their houses near the LoC to feed the cattle.

“People have been living in fear since May 10, when Pakistan shelled the area. It got worse when two civilians were killed on May 13. For the past few days there was no firing on the LoC and few people were returning to their houses during the day but the release of the video has brought back the fear,” said Harbans Lal Sharma, Sub-District Magistrate, Nowshera. “Now, people don’t want to go back home and they are only demanding construction of bunkers and allotment of plots at safer places,” Sharma said.

Nowshera has been on the Pakistan radar since 1947. After the arms insurgency broke out in the state in 1989-1990, a huge number of militants infiltrated through the sector. For the past few years, Nowshera has been facing the brunt of ceasefire violations by Pakistan.