Closed Roads Prevent Families from Reuniting After Death

BALTISTAN: (Azadi Times) The body of Bilquis Banu, wife of Mohammad Hasan Darya, was buried in the area of Meurdu Kharman near the Sindhu River in Pakistan-administered Baltistan (Jammu Kashmir) on July 25.

Bano had died on July 15 in the Indian-controlled territory of Kargil, but her body was not allowed to be taken to Kargil for her loved ones to perform the funeral and offer prayers.

The decision to bury Banu’s body in Baltistan has been met with condemnation from both sides of the Kashmir divide.

Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control have called for the opening of all the old roads in the region, including the Kargil-Tiakshi, Khaplu, and Gultari roads, so that families can be reunited and loved ones can be buried in their ancestral lands.

The oppressive actions of the Indian and Pakistani governments have caused great concern among the people and youth of Baltistan and Ladakh. They fear that the closure of the roads is a deliberate attempt to divide the region and prevent the people from coming together.

Locals call upon the international community to pressure both India and Pakistan to open all the old roads in the region and allow families to be reunited. We also call for an end to the human rights abuses that are being committed against the people of Baltistan and Ladakh.