3 weeks on, fear keeps Poonch residents away

Amid continuous sound of sirens from vehicles of VIPs echoing through the air, auto drivers await customers in the heart of Poonch town.

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This is the same area where multiple bomb shells were fired by the Pakistani side on May 7. Many local residents who had fled on that day to safer areas like Mandi (in Poonch) and Jammu have since not returned home.

Even three weeks after the shelling took place, the business community, especially shopkeepers, are still feeling the heat of the conflict between the two countries as they are facing severe losses.

At the auto-rickshaw stand in the town, owners said while earlier they used to earn anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 600 a day, the earnings had now come down to Rs 250 to Rs 300.

“From May 7 to May 14, auto owners did not earn even a penny as a majority of the people had fled Poonch while the remaining were confined to their homes. We also didn’t come out,” said Mohammad Irshad, an auto owner, who was waiting for a customer, said.

He said men, women and students used to visit market areas and other places by hiring autos, but it had come to a halt now. “The crowd in the town is nearly half at present. Earlier, students used to come out in large numbers, but that’s missing now,” he said.

In the Sukha Khatta area, where a Pakistan shell exploded, resulting in the death of Choudhary Mohammad Akram, a father of six, most residents had fled their homes and many of them have not returned.

Akram’s elder brother, Mohammad Bashir, told The Tribune that many of his family members were staying in Mandi since May 7. “Although I believe that people should return and stay here as we trust our Army, people think that shelling from the Pakistani side won’t stop and may cause further damage. They are afraid and unwilling to return,” said Bashir.

Continuous visits by top officials and leaders have not been able to provide hope to the residents, who fear targeting of houses will become a routine in the event of conflict situations between India and Pakistan. It was for the first time when Poonch town was targeted by Pakistani shelling. At least 15 civilians were killed during the recent conflict, a majority of them from Poonch.

Aijaz Ahmed, who was sitting idle at his mobile shop near the bus stand, said while compensation was being given to those whose houses had been damaged, “the government should also think about those whose businesses have been affected due to the shelling”. He said thousands of people were dependent on small trades and were not able to make both ends meet.