Lights Out, Fear High
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, May 7: Until recently, villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir were emerging as new tourism destinations. Places like Uri, Tangdar, and parts of Poonch welcomed travelers—campers, backpackers, and families staying in hillside homestays.
But overnight, that vibrant atmosphere turned to smoke and silence. On Tuesday night, Pakistani artillery shattered the fragile peace, pounding several villages along the LoC in one of the worst flare-ups since the 2021 truce. With at least 13 civilians killed and more than 50 injured, border tourism has collapsed. The night lights that once glowed from tents and guesthouses have now gone dark.
“Just a week ago, there was laughter and bonfires here,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, who had converted part of his home in Uri into a homestay for trekkers last year. “Today, there’s only silence, broken by the sound of distant shelling.”
For years, border residents lived in fear, but the last four years brought a rare stretch of calm. Locals began to dream beyond mere survival. Young people opened cafés, promoted camping sites on social media, and invited tourists to experience life along the border. In Tangdar and Poonch, tour operators had even started including these areas in their itineraries.
“The government had launched promotional campaigns to develop these regions into tourism hubs, but now, everything lies in ruins,” locals said, adding that they now live in constant fear of further escalation.
They also mentioned that authorities had instructed them to keep their lights off at night, leaving them no choice but to comply. “The lights are off now,” they added.
Majeed Khan, another resident of Karnah, said people across the area are living in fear. While many have fled the village, others have chosen to stay. “We feel completely suffocated, unsure of what will happen next,” he said.
“Are we destined to witness destruction, disaster, and hellish situations forever? We beg both nations to leave us in God’s mercy. We have already suffered so much—how long will we be victims of this gun culture?” said a group of youngsters.
They expressed that their elders grew up amid this conflict, and now they long for the beautiful morning of a new beginning filled with peace, prosperity, and development. “Alhamdulillah, things were going well, but how long will these enemies of peace make us suffer? How long will they try to snatch our peace? What’s our fault? Why must we bear the brunt of these wars? Why? Why?” they added.
They appealed to both nations to maintain peace and to avoid focusing on war, which only brings destruction and makes people victims.
In response to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people on April 22. The Indian Armed Forces on Wednesday (May 7, 2025) launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a government release read.
India exercised its right to act on terror, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on the launch of military strikes on nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’ while stressing that the actions were “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible” and focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists likely to be sent across to India.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
