by Anam Zakaria
Another view of Dumel Bridge, which became a site of violence during attacks by ‘tribesmen’ in 1947.
Locals state that there used to be a ‘shamshan ghat’ (cremation ground) by Dumel Bridge, which brings out the importance of this location for the Hindu community.
Splinters from a mortar shell in Nakyal sector, Kotli district. These are frequently sited in villages close to the LoC, which bear the brunt of ceasefire violations.
A young boy observes a wall riddled with shelling in the aftermath of ceasefire violations in Nakyal sector of Kotli district.
Villagers rebuilding bunkers in Athmuqam in 2016, the year that shelling resumed in Neelum Valley after a long spell of peace.
A view from inside a community bunker that gave refuge to villagers amidst artillery barrages in the 1990s.
An abandoned home in Neelum Valley, devastated by cross-LoC shelling in the 1990s. Several other homes met the same or worse fate in an ‘unofficial war’, which went on for over a decade, endured by communities living by the LoC.
The graveyard where slain members of Lanjot village in Nakyal sector, Kotli, rest. Locals claim that they were killed by the Indian Army, a charge that the Indian state denies.
A refugee gets out of the chairlift at the Manakpayan camp in Muzaffarabad, capital of ‘Azad’ Kashmir. The main road here was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake and refugees use the chairlift as a common mode of transportation to and from the refugee camp.
Refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir soak in the sun in makeshift camps at Muzaffarabad. Displaced for close to three decades, the refugees still dream of reuniting with their families across the LoC.
In 2016, locals in Neelum Valley came out to protest the resumption of mortar shelling in their area, which resulted in road blockages and a halt to normal life. Waving white flags, they demanded that peace be restored to the valley.
The Kashmir issue plays a central role in Pakistani politics, and some political parties, such as the religio-nationalist Jamaat-e-Islami, assert that the normalization of relationship with India is impossible without addressing it first. Here, they protest against the pellet wounds inflicted on Kashmiris in Indian-administered Kashmir in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen’s commander Burhan Wani’s killing.
Sayeed Salahuddin, of the Hizbul Mujahideen group operating in Kashmir, attends a rally in Muzaffarabad.
Hafiz Saeed, a Punjabi advocate of the ‘Kashmiri cause’, addresses an audience at the Central Press Club, Muzaffarabad in 2016. Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa has been put on the United Nations Security Council sanctions list.
Posters lionizing Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab, are frequently seen across various cities of Pakistan.
(Photo credit: Haroon Khalid)
The sun setting at Mangla dam in Mirpur district of ‘Azad’ Kashmir. The dam became a source of displacement and resentment in the ‘Azad’ Kashmiri community, in many ways setting off a movement to challenge Pakistani and Indian control over Kashmir.
British Kashmiris, many of whom were pushed out of Mirpur due to the construction of the Mangla dam, protest against its extension, which they feared would further submerge homes and displace people.
Photo credit: Anti Mangla Dam Extension Action Committee (AMDEAC)
Sharda Peeth, an ancient seat of learning in ‘Azad’ Kashmir, has a Hindu and Buddhist past. In 2018, the Supreme Court of ‘Azad’ Kashmir directed the government to protect the site.
An abandoned mandir in Muzaffarabad, a city which once boasted of a vibrant Hindu community.
Villagers watch the soldiers at Sharda, Neelum Valley, on 14 August 2016, the Independence Day of Pakistan. Cross-firing at the LoC increases during the independence days of both India and Pakistan.
The prime minister of ‘Azad’ Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider, visits the LoC at Neelum Valley in the winter of 2016.
The former president of ‘Azad’ Kashmir, Sardar Yaqoob Khan, who earlier also served as the prime minister, at an event in Karachi. While ‘Azad’ Kashmir has its own president and prime minister, many locals complain that its fate is firmly in the hands of Islamabad.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would have been impossible to research and write without the support of the following people: first and foremost, my husband Haroon Khalid. Haroon, thank you for waking up at 5 am on your Sunday mornings to drive me to ‘Azad’ Kashmir week after week; for reading and rereading each chapter; and for being the voice of reason during my moments of utter confusion and doubt. I could not have asked for a better companion to help me bring my ideas to life.
To Sharjeel, whose name I have had to change to protect his identity but who knows how instrumental he has been to the writing of this book. I would not have been able to conduct even half of the interviews I did if it were not for his generosity and constant support. Thank you for taking out the time to travel with me and for inspiring me with your life story. I would also like to thank you, your mother, your wife and your beautiful children for opening up your home and hosting us in ‘Azad’ Kashmir.
Waqar, whose name I have also had to change, helped me connect with Sharjeel and mentored me as I tried to learn more about Kashmir. Jalaluddin Mughal, Tariq Naqash and Ershad Mahmud pointed me towards the right resources during the research process and answered the countless questions I had about Kashmir. A special thank you to Amiruddin Mughal, who allowed me to use his photographs in the book.
Kaniskha Gupta, founder of Writer’s Side agency, which represents me. Kanishka accepted my first proposal within a few hours and since then has changed my life. He is today not only a rock-star agent but one of my closest friends and confidants.
Amit Agarwal, my editor. This is my second book with Amit and he has redefined the definition of professionalism for me. Amit: thank you for embracing each book so wholeheartedly and working on it tirelessly to make it more accessible for readers. And thank you for believing in this book when it was a mere idea. You are the force behind every page.
My parents: for supporting me from the beginning to the very end—though they did scold me for picking controversial subjects for my books! To my sisters, for talking so much throughout my childhood that I had no choice but to turn towards books and writing to find moments of silence and sanity. And to my nieces, Reyah, Arya, Soha and Abeeha, and nephews, Raem, Zarrar and Kabir, who serve as constant reminders of creativity and ingenuity. You are all my pillars of strength.
My aunts—Naheed Zaheer, Nighat Rehman, Noshi Asif, Saman Asif and Ambreen Khurram—for always championing my writing. A special thank you to my uncle, Tashie Zaheer, for encouraging and celebrating my work throughout.
My friends and colleagues—Jasmyn R. Khawaja, Natasha Wali, Radha Shah, Saad Sayeed, Saad Maqbool, Ammar Khalid, Owais K. Rana, Abdul Qadoos, Mariam Tariq, Ali Hashmi, Basharaat Saeed, Usman Khan, Hiba Ali, Imran Khan, Arsalan Jogenzai and Anum Usman—for connecting me with people who could help with the research process, for patiently listening to all my ideas and for always encouraging me. And to Emaan Niazi, for all the positivity that pulled me through.
A special thank you to Shams Rehman, Iqbal Qaiser, Marta Bolognani, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Kamil Ahsan, Fahad Shah, Furquan Moharkan and Muhammad Mukaram for answering my questions about Kashmir, sharing resources, and helping me understand the region better.
I would also like to thank authors whose prior work on Kashmir has been instructive for me. Akbar Khan’s Raiders in Kashmir gave insights regarding popular sentiments in Pakistan in the immediate aftermath of Partition. Christopher Snedden’s book, Kashmir: The Unwritten History, sketches a comprehensive portrait of the region and provides a rare and significant perspective on ‘Azad’ Kashmir, which was critical to my understanding of the territory. Basharat Peer’s memoir, Curfewed Night, left me stunned and pushed me to explore the conflict from the lens of Kashmir, in many ways inspiring this book. Mirza Waheed’s novels, The Collaborator and The Book of Gold Leaves and
Rahul Pandita’s memoir, Our Moon has Blood Clots, also left deep imprints, each in its own way. I would also like to thank Gallup Pakistan for their surveys and the Human Rights Watch for their work on ‘Azad’ Kashmir, which sheds an important light on the region and its politics.
And finally, to all the people who agreed to be interviewed for the book and allowed me to document personal, and often traumatic, moments of their lives. This has been a very difficult book to write because of the sheer violence that continues to rock the region. But in the process of writing it, I have been so inspired by the resilience of the people who continue to survive against all odds. I am deeply indebted to all of them.
About the Book
LETTING KASHMIRIS SPEAK, SANS INTERVENTION
Seventy years ago, as India and Pakistan gained their independence, the region of Jammu & Kashmir also found itself divided, with parts of the territory administered by Pakistan ever since. Located by the volatile Line of Control and caught in the middle of artillery barrages from both sides, Pakistan-administered Kashmir was until over a decade ago one of the most closed-off territories of the world.
In a first book of its kind, award-winning Pakistani writer Anam Zakaria travels through Pakistan-administered Kashmir to hear its people – their sufferings, hopes and aspirations. She talks to women and children living near the Line of Control, bearing the brunt of ceasefire violations; journalists and writers braving all odds to document events in remote areas; political and military representatives championing the cause of Kashmir; former militants still committed to the cause; nationalists struggling for a united independent Kashmir; and refugees yearning to reunite with their families on the other side.
In the process, Zakaria breaks the silence surrounding a people who are often ignored in discussions on the present and future of Jammu & Kashmir even though they are important stakeholders in what happens in the region. What she unearths during her deeply empathetic journeys is critical to understanding the Kashmir conflict and will surprise and enlighten Indians and Pakistanis alike.
‘Anam Zakaria shines a bright light on the “other side” of Kashmir, bringing us first-hand accounts of people living on one of the most volatile “borders” in the world…Essential reading.’ MIRZA WAHEED, NOVELIST AND JOURNALIST
‘The book challenges both India’s and Pakistan’s official narratives on Kashmir and further fleshes out the story of one of the great tragedies of post-colonial history.’ ISAMBARD WILKINSON, FORMER PAKISTAN CORRESPONDENT, DAILY TELEGRAPH
About the Author
ANAM ZAKARIA is a researcher, development professional and educationist with a special interest in oral histories and identity politics. She has also studied psychotherapy and has a particular interest in trauma and healing in conflict zones. Her first book, The Footprints of Partition: Narratives of Four Generations of Pakistanis and Indians (HarperCollins Publishers India), won the KLF-German Peace Prize 2017. Anam currently lives in Islamabad with her husband. This is her second book.
Advance Praise for the Book
‘The Pakistani side of the contentious Kashmir Valley is barely known to the outside world, its long suffering people ignored, its economic future uncertain, lives constantly threatened by artillery barrages from both sides. How do these Kashmiris survive? Anam Zakaria has written the first detailed human interest account of what it means to be Kashmiri and live in the middle of a battlefield… She tells a riveting tale that we need to know more about if a future war is to be avoided.’
—Ahmed Rashid, journalist and author
‘Kashmir is probably the most broken place on earth, pitilessly splintered into far too many pieces for us to begin to comprehend… Zakaria’s is an essential subcontinental project. It gives an ear to Kashmiri voices that we don’t often get to hear; not in India, not too often in Pakistan, nor, I suspect, in all of quartered bits of Kashmir. These are voices lost in the high decibel of diplomacy, politics and militarism. But that’s probably why they are critical to whatever we can understand of Kashmir and Kashmiris. The real beauty and purity of it lies in the way Zakaria has let Kashmiris speak, sans intervention.’
—Sankarshan Thakur, journalist and writer
‘For seventy years India and Pakistan have been… carrying out open warfare and covert hostilities on the Kashmiri people’s land without their permission or even any notice to them… they have tried to block indigenous voices. Anam Zakaria has undertaken the task of ending the conspiracy of silence on what goes on in the minds and hearts of the people of Azad Kashmir, whose rights as important stakeholders are yet to be recognized… What she offers us are incredible stories of human suffering, the frustrations of activists who still dream of reuniting their divided land and families and the yearning of ordinary women and men for peace and hope in their future. These stories give the author’s bold and path-breaking study the stamp of authenticity… A pioneering work indeed.’
—I.A. Rehman, political analyst, peace activist and former secretary-general of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
‘This is certainly a groundbreaking and refreshing addition to the small body of literature on “azad” Kashmir.’
—Shams Rehman, British Kashmiri writer and broadcaster
‘Anam Zakaria has written a highly valuable and valiant account that gives voice to people all too often silenced. It challenges both India and Pakistan’s official narratives on Kashmir and further fleshes out the story of one of the great tragedies of post-colonial history.’
—Isambard Wilkinson, former Pakistan correspondent, Daily Telegraph, and author of Travels in a Dervish Cloak
‘Anam Zakaria brings a new dimension to the complex narratives of the Kashmir conflict by moving beyond the rhetoric of territory, nationhood and statehood, to look at the way in which war, violence and vested interests (foreign and local) have impinged on the lives of ordinary people living amid perpetual strife along the Line of Control dividing Kashmir. The rich oral histories that she has recorded of ordinary people living on the densely populated Pakistani side of the border provide rare unusual insights into the conflict through their sufferings, difficulties, needs and aspirations.’
—Muneeza Shamsie, writer, critic and author of Hybrid Tapestries: The Development of Pakistani Literature in English
‘Anam shines a bright light on the “other side” of Kashmir, bringing us first-hand accounts of people living on one of the most volatile “borders” in the world… Essential reading.’
—Mirza Waheed, novelist and journalist
‘Cold statistics cannot ever tell a true story but Anam Zakaria supplements these with her empathetic and detailed interviews of those living on the Pakistani side of the LoC. These tell the tale of endless human suffering from near-daily artillery exchanges and sniper fire. Pakistanis who generally assume that all Azad Kashmiris buy into their state’s narrative may well be shocked to read the harsh treatment meted out to Kashmiris who seek to be neither with India or Pakistan.’
—Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, physics professor, columnist and peace activist
‘A significant, compelling and timely book by Anam. It tells you stories of a region that is caught between the complexities of conflict and politics of South Asia. A book that was long needed, with stories… which haven’t come out so often… making this a noteworthy addition to the literature on South Asia.’
—Fahad Shah, journalist and editor, The Kashmir Walla
‘In her refreshing new book that counters official narratives on the Kashmir dispute, Anam Zakaria turns the gaze on the forgotten victims— the people of the Pakistan-administered part of the disputed state known as “Azad Kashmir”. The militarization of space and spontaneous acts of resistance against the Indian state’s encroachments in everyday life is not the story of the Kashmir Valley alone but matched by rage and alienation at the military checkpoints and authoritarian controls by the Pakistani state in “Azad Kashmir”… Zakaria sensitively conveys the intricate and withering impact of the conf
lict on the psyches of ordinary Kashmiris caught in the crossfires of a conflict in which they have a high stake but no say… Engaging, moving and very readable, the book shatters the silences in statist narratives, proving that fact is stranger than fiction.’
—Dr Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History and Director, Center for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies, Tufts University
‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir… is a silent space whose voice is rarely heard… In this excellent presentation of Kashmiri voices, Anam Zakaria has almost taken off the veil of this Kashmir for Pakistanis and the world to see how people react to conflict. The suffering of women, divided families and refugees—the book passionately unearths a bleeding and suffering land.’
—Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, author, military expert and research associate at SOAS, University of London South Asia Institute
‘Anam writes with remarkable clarity and sensitivity; her book is an important puzzle piece in the understanding of the Kashmir conflict.’
—Rahul Pandita, journalist and author
‘At a time of rising tensions and ceasefire violations, Anam Zakaria’s rich narrative fills a hole in the Kashmir puzzle by giving a voice and face to the people caught in an endless cycle of violence. As Anam’s book suggests, without exploring the human dimension of the suffering and aspirations on both sides of the border, there can be no permanent resolution.’
