kashmiri women protest against banned Kashmiri militant groups

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan administrated Jammu and Kashmir: large number of women protested against the recent activities of some banned Kashmiri militant groups in Neelum valley area, reported Press For Peace (PFP) a civil society organization working in Pakistan administrated part of Kashmir. “Recent movement of militants of outlawed Jahdi organizations in border areas, especially Neelum valley, is a great danger for the peace in the local area,” women protestors told Pakistani army officials. Three Pakistani troopers and one Indian soldier were killed on the concluding day of last month in an exchange of fire by the rival militaries across their sensitive border in divided Kashmir two weeks ago. And situation is still tense as some more incidents of firing have been reported during last week. According to details compiled by Press For Peace (PFP) a local peace group, dozens of local women, some of them students, marched from Shah Kot area to Athmuqam -a small town located along Line of Control (LoC), which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. They marched to the local headquarters of Pakistan army and conveyed their demands to the officials. Women urged upon Pakistani army to stop the movement of militants across the Line of Control.They warned that militants would not be allowed to use the local land for their anti- people designs. “Local people cannot afford another war- like situation and we would resist any possible efforts conceived to ruin the peace along the border region”, they added. They said that people of Neelum Valley and other border areas have paid heavy price during the shelling across the LoC before the ceasefire.A ceasefire has come into effect along the informal border dividing Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir on November, 2003.Pakistani and Indian armies have been trading heavy firing and shelling on defecto -border of Kashmir when militancy erupted in Indian administrated Kashmir in 1989. Remembering the tragic outcomes and memories of those days, Kashmiri women protesterers said that this war like situation lost our generation. “Our children were abandoned illiterate, we lost our homes hospitals, and other basic infrastructures due to the war, but we were not rehabilitated by the government.”They also called upon Pakistani and Indian armies to reduce the tension on the borders. PFP observed that local media did not give any coverage to this procession which demanded peace on the LoC. One of possible reasons of this media silence could be fear of possible pressure from Jihadi organizations and other official circles that have soft corner for militants. In the past Press for Peace (PFP) activists have been threatened by state and non-state actors for carrying pro- peace campaigns in these areas. Note for editors:A file photo of a Press For Peace (PFP) peace rally in the Neelum Valley(Kashmir) is attached.