Srinagar: The IAF strikes deep inside Pakistan added to the existing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir particularly the Kashmir Valley with many people fearing a “catastrophic conflict” breaking out between the two South Asian neighbours.
“I suddenly woke up in the dead of the night on hearing the warplanes roaring in the skies. Knowing about the growing tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pulwama attack, I thought war has broken out between the two countries,” said Srinagar resident Farooq Ahmed Darzi.
After a couple of hours when the warplanes were still flying in the Valley skies Darzi relocated to a nearby mosque to offer the fajr (dawn) prayers and found almost all other worshippers petrified too.
“I’ve seen wars before also and know what it means. We discussed the possible repercussions of war particularly for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Nusrat Nazir Khan, a housewife, said that she was sleeping in a room on the ground floor of her house when she heard the sound of the warplanes. “I was woken up by the noise of the warplanes flying in the Srinagar skies. I got up and rushed to upstairs where my two daughters were sleeping. Next few hours were bloodcurdling. I heaved a sigh when I learnt through TV what it was all about. But I keep my fingers crossed,” she said.
Reports pouring in here say that fresh tensions have erupted also in the areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan rather the border-dwellers are more worried than people elsewhere. “The residents of the border areas are fearful of what will come next after the IAF action against the alleged terror camps across the LoC and in Pakistan’s Balakot area,” said Tariq Hassan Abbasi, a resident of Uri over the phone.
Former chief minister and president of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) while echoing the sentiment wrote on microblogging site Twitter.com “Since Pak has claimed that no casualties were reported despite IAF violating LoC, they should adopt a reconciliatory stand as opposed to further escalation. Or else, an already volatile situation will spiral out of control and as usual Kashmiris will be the biggest casualties”.
National Conference (NC) vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdu-llah tweeted, “Jaish-e- Mohammed(JeM) hit Indian forces & claimed the attack. In turn Indian forces hit JeM & owned that air strike. It’s now time for cooler heads to prevail. War is never an ideal option to resolve disputes. Let’s go back to the India-Saudi joint statement of last week”. Many ordinary residents also hoped that it ends here and there is no more escalation.
They said that if there is escalation in hostilities, it will be the people on either side of the LoC and IB who will suffer the most.
