Heightened tensions between Pakistan and India have resulted in empty hotel rooms and deserted roads at the beginning of what is typically the peak tourist season amidst the towering peaks and lush valleys of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Tensions between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals have escalated since India accused Pakistan of supporting a shooting incident that killed 26 civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on April 22.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted his military “full operational freedom” to respond, while Islamabad earlier this week issued a warning based on “credible intelligence” suggesting that India was planning imminent strikes.
The high season in the cooler climates of the Neelum Valley, the primary tourist hub of AJK, commences in May as temperatures rise across the rest of the country.
“It’s been a really bad start,” commented Muhammad Awais, a 22-year-old photographer at a popular picnic spot.
Tourism serves as the lifeline of the Neelum Valley, attracting over 300,000 visitors from all over Pakistan annually, according to the district administration.
A significant portion of the local population relies on approximately 350 guesthouses, which provide employment for thousands of families.
“Our livelihoods depend on tourism, and without it, we suffer,” Awais told AFP, adding, “The way things are unfolding is very slow, and it’s affecting our work badly.”
This week, police and soldiers stationed at army checkpoints barred tourists from entering the valley, permitting only local residents to pass through.
Tourists were subsequently instructed to return to the main town of Muzaffarabad.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the government did not warn us or advise against visiting,” expressed Saleem Uddin Siddique, who had traveled from the capital Islamabad with his family.
“Our hopes are now dashed,” stated the 69-year-old retired accountant.
On India’s heavily fortified border, residents of farming villages along the Chenab River have sent their families away from the frontier, recalling the terror of the last major conflict between the rival armies in 1999.
There has also been an exodus of tourists on the Indian side of the border following the attack that targeted Hindu men enjoying the open meadows with their families.
Indian authorities have heavily promoted the region as a holiday destination, both for skiing in winter and as an escape from the sweltering summer heat.
Meanwhile, the AJK government has ordered the closure of religious schools and urged residents to stockpile food supplies.
However, some tourists continued to arrive undeterred.
“We don’t think the threat of possible war is serious,” said Mudasar Maqsood, a 39-year-old factory worker from the eastern city of Kasur, over 630 kilometers away, who was blocked along with his friends from entering the valley.
“We should not disrupt our routine life,” he added.
Raja Iftikhar Khan, the president of the private tourism association, warned that the situation could become “extremely dire.”
“This disruption has been devastating for all those tied to tourism,” he stated.
“We don’t want war — no sensible businessperson ever does.”
