Apprehensive fringe villagers to ‘wait, watch’

JAMMU: Even as India and Pakistan have reaffirmed to honour the ceasefire agreement in letter and spirit, the villagers living along the Line of Control and international border in Jammu are apprehensive about it.

Zaheer Abbas of Mandi in Poonch district said, “We have seen such promises by Pakistan in the past too but the neighbouring nation has never kept them.”

“Let us wait and watch. If it works this time, it would be good for people like us living on the border. We bear the maximum brunt of the cross-border shelling,” he added.

Mohammad Qasim of Shahpur-kirni said, “We pray to the God that this time better sense prevails on Pakistan and the ceasefire agreement is honoured in earnest because border villagers are the first victims of the truce violations.”

‘Pakistan’s intentions can’t be trusted’

Expressing doubt over Pakistan’s intentions, Hari Singh of Chachwal village in Samba district said, “Pakistan’s commitment to ceasefire pact was always doubted and can’t be trusted now too. They are digging trans-border tunnels to push armed terrorists to Jammu and sending drones with arms, ammunition and drugs to fuel terrorism. How can we trust them?”

Echoing these views, Rohit Singh of RS Pura said, “Pakistan can’t be trusted. It would be good if our government ensures individual and community bunkers in each village along IB and LOC.”

Jammu region shares a 210-km of international border and over 300-km of LOC with Pakistan.

The border meanders along Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts in the Jammu region.