Skepticism and caution grip communities along the India-Pakistan border following this weekend’s ceasefire, with many displaced residents reluctant to return to their villages after days of intense fighting.
Despite the truce, brokered under U.S. pressure after four days of escalating conflict, border towns like Jammu and Amritsar in India remained subdued on Sunday. Many shops remained closed, and residents stayed indoors, wary after hearing explosions even after the ceasefire agreement.
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Authorities on both sides of the border have advised displaced populations against immediately returning to frontline villages, citing ongoing risks. The recent clashes, the worst in nearly three decades, involved missile strikes and drone attacks on military installations, resulting in nearly 70 fatalities.
“URGENT APPEAL: Do not return to frontline villages. Lives are at risk. Unexploded munitions remain after Pakistani shelling,” warned a police notice in Indian Kashmir, underscoring the dangers still present.
Hundreds of people were evacuated to temporary shelters or sought refuge with relatives further from the border as the fighting intensified earlier in the week.
“I want to go back to my village in Bihar. Do not want to go back there (to the border) and die,” said Asha Devi, a 22-year-old farm laborer from the Akhnoor region, one of the areas most affected by the recent shelling, highlighting the deep-seated fear among residents.
Kabal Singh, a village head close to the border, echoed this sentiment, stating that people were afraid to return home after hearing explosions following the ceasefire announcement.
On the Pakistani side, residents displaced from villages were advised to wait until midday Monday before considering a return. “Many of them are waiting to see how the situation develops before making a decision about returning,” said Akhtar Ayoub, a local administration official in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, reflecting the widespread uncertainty
