NEELUM VALLEY: Rabia Bibi, a glittering red dupatta pulled over her eyes, wasn’t about to let the threat of war with India stop her wedding in a remote valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“In our childhood the situation was also like this but we are not afraid. Nor will we be,” the 18-year-old told AFP after being carried in a flower-garlanded “doli” carriage.

“We want peace, so our life does not get affected,” said the bride, radiant in gold bangles, bejewelled bridal headpiece and richly embroidered scarlet robe.

At the ceremony — preceded by the sacrifice of a chicken — groom Chaudhry Junaid, no less resplendent in his elaborate sherwani coat and red-and-gold turban, was also defiant. “People are anxious and worried, but even so, we haven’t cancelled any traditional ceremonies,” the 23-year-old chef said.

Gunfire traded

Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have once again soared after India accused Pakistan of backing a attack that killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam area of India-held Kashmir on April 22.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack. The two sides have traded gunfire for more than a week on the Line of Control (LoC) and Pakistan on Saturday conducted a “training launch” of a missile to prove its “operational readiness”.

Islamabad last week warned they had “credible intelligence” that India was planning imminent strikes.

International pressure has been piled on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.

On the Pakistani side, emergency drills have been carried out in playing fields, residents have been told to stock up on food and medicine, and religious schools have shut.

In India-held Kashmir, a vast manhunt seeking the attackers continues across the disputed territory, while those living along the frontier are moving further away.

India and Pakistan have fought several wars over the disputed territory since the end of British rule in 1947. Kashmiris are often the first victims caught in the crossfire.

In a checkpoint-free corner of the picturesque Neelum Valley, a tourist epicentre that was shut down last week, India-occupied territory is the other side of the river that winds through the mountainous region.

Residents said they had been urged by the authorities to remain vigilant because of the threat of a possible military confrontation.

In another village, mechanical engineer Shoaib Akhtar was also getting married.

“This is the happiest occasion of our lives, and we won’t let anything ruin it,” said Akhtar, the 25-year-old groom surrounded by family.

“Right now, I’m getting married and that’s what matters most. If war comes, we’ll deal with it when it happens,” he added.

“We are happy, and if India has some issues, we don’t care,” Bibi said. “We stand firm and will fight for our interests and our nation.”

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2025