DATE=6/10/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40644
TITLE=PAK KASHMIR PART TWO
BYLINE=MEREDITH BUEL
DATELINE=CHAKOTHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: HEAVILY ARMED INDIAN AND PAKISTANI SOLDIERS FREQUENTLY
FIRE ARTILLERY, MORTARS AND MACHINE GUNS ACROSS THE LINE OF
CONTROL -- THE BOUNDARY SEPARATING THEM IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION
OF KASHMIR. IN MANY PLACES CIVILIANS LIVE AND WORK BETWEEN THE
TWO ARMIES, AND THEY ARE SOMETIMES KILLED IN THE CROSS FIRE.
WORLD LEADERS ARE TURNING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE KASHMIR DISPUTE
BECAUSE OF THE RECENT NUCLEAR TESTS CARRIED OUT BY INDIA AND
PAKISTAN. V-O-A ISLAMABAD CORRESPONDENT MEREDITH BUEL HAS JUST
RETURNED FROM A VISIT TO PAKISTANI KASHMIR. HERE HE REPORTS ON
THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE LINEOF CONTROL.
TEXT:
/// NATURAL SOUND CALL TO PRAYER ///
THE CALL TO PRAYER WAFTS OVER THE SMALL VILLAGE OF CHAKOTHI
(CHA-COE-TEE) -- JUST A FEW HUNDRED METERS FROM THE LINE OF
CONTROL -- THE BOUNDARY SEPARATING INDIAN AND PAKISTANI FORCES IN
KASHMIR.
IN THE LUSH, GREEN VALLEY BESIDE THE JHELUM RIVER, FARMERS USE
OXEN TO PLOW THEIR FIELDS -- LAND THAT IS AT TIMES ON THE FRONT
LINE OF A DECADES-LONG DISPUTE BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN.
ABOVE THIS PASTORAL SETTING, IN HEAVILY ARMED MOUNTAINSIDE
BUNKERS, SOLDIERS FROM THE TWO COUNTRIES FIRE MACHINE GUNS AND
MORTARS AT EACH OTHER.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT TWO WARS OVER KASHMIR.
THE PAKISTAN ARMY SAYS LAST YEAR 41 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED AND 93
WOUNDED IN THIS ONE SECTOR OF THE LINE OF CONTROL.
INDIA DENIES TARGETING ANY CIVILIANS IN PAKISTANI KASHMIR.
AMIR AKBAR ABBASI LIVES NEAR THE LINE OF CONTROL. IN ONE HAND HE
CARRIES AN UNEXPLODED ARTILLERY SHELL. IN THE OTHER HE CARRIES A
PICTURE OF HIS SON.
/// ABBASI ACT IN URDU, THEN UNDER ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
MY VILLAGE IS LOCATED NEAR THE LINE OF CONTROL AND THIS
SHELL HE IS CARRYING IS AN INDIAN ARTILLERY SHELL WHICH
WAS FIRED ON TO HIS HOUSE. SO MANY OTHER SHELLS WERE
FIRED BUT THIS SHELL GOT INTO THE LOOSE EARTH AND IT WAS
A BLANK SHELL. NOW THE OTHER SHELL LANDED ON THE HOUSE
-- HE IS SHOWING THIS PHOTOGRAPH -- HIS SON WAS KILLED
IN THAT FIRING. LIFE IS QUITE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY
CAN NOT MOVE AROUND DURING THE DAYTIME TO CULTIVATE
THEIR LANDS, TO GO FOR WATER, TO DO OTHER JOBS. SO THEY
HAVE TO RESTRICT THEIR MOVEMENT TO THE NIGHT HOURS.
/// END ACT ///
GUL SHAR LIVES IN CHAKOTHI AND HE SAYS A MORTAR ROUND LANDED ON
HIS HOUSE, KILLING HIS SON AND GRANDSON.
HE SAYS HIS FAMILY HAS LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO LIVE NEXT TO THE LINE
OF CONTROL.
/// SHAR ACT IN URDU, THEN ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
HE SAYS WE HAVE OUR HOUSES HERE, OUR RELATIVES HERE, OUR
LAND AND PROPERTIES HERE. WHERE WE CAN GO WE WILL FIND
ONLY SHELTER TO LIVE AND NOT ANYTHING ELSE TO WORK ON
AND EARN OUR LIVINGS. SO WE ARE FORCED TO LIVE HERE.
/// END ACT ///
FROM A HILLTOP BUNKER OVERLOOKING CHAKOTHI BRIGADIER GENERAL
HAIDER KHAN OF THE PAKISTANI ARMY SAYS SOLDIERS ARE AMAZED THE
CIVILIANS STAY IN THE AREA.
/// KHAN ACT ///
WHEN THE SHELLING HAPPENS -- DO YOU SEE THAT FLAT PATCH?
THAT WAS SHELLED ALSO. ALL THAT THE PEOPLE DO IS CLOSE
SHOP, SHUT DOWN, MOVE BACK INTO CRACKS AND CREVICES,
WAIT OUT THE SHELLING AND THEN THEY GO BACK. IT IS
AMAZING TO SEE THE CIVILIAN POPULATION -- MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN -- ALL OF THEM SO UNAFRAID, AND I WOULD SAY
DETERMINED TO STAY ON THEIR LAND AND NOT VACATE IT.
/// END ACT ///
GENERAL KHAN SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO INCREASE IN CLASHES BETWEEN
THE INDIAN AND PAKISTANI ARMIES SINCE BOTH COUNTRIES CONDUCTED
NUCLEAR TESTS.
MANY RESIDENTS SAY THERE HAS BEEN A REDUCTION IN FIRING NEAR
CHAKOTHI SINCE THE TESTS OCCURRED.
MILITARY ANALYSTS SAY -- HOWEVER -- IF ANOTHER WAR DOES BREAK
OUT, KASHMIR IS THE LIKELY FLASH POINT AND CIVILIANS LIVING HERE
COULD AGAIN BE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. (SIGNED)
NEB/MB/WTW
10-Jun-98 6:43 AM EDT (1043 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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