A Cry from Tehjiyan, Neelum Valley
By Emaan Sharafat of Tehjiyan,
Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir
The sun was just beginning to set behind the majestic peaks of Neelum Valley, casting a golden hue over our village of Tehjiyan. Children were playing in the courtyards, women preparing evening meals, and the elderly sitting on their verandas, whispering prayers for peace.
But as darkness fell upon us, electricity was cut off to hide the lights from the attackers and within moments, everything changed.
The stillness of the valley shattered as the first shell thundered down — unprovoked, merciless. Indian forces once again violated the Line of Control (LoC), targeting our peaceful villages without warning.
It wasn’t the first time.
It never is.
The earth trembled. Windows exploded. Mothers screamed. Children froze mid-laughter, now clinging to their parents in terror. Homes that had taken generations to build were reduced to rubble in seconds.
The air was thick with dust, smoke, and cries — cries that the world seems to have forgotten.
We are not soldiers.
We are farmers, teachers, shopkeepers, and students.
Our only weapon is hope — and even that now feels fragile. Yesterday night, our skies lit not with stars but with fire. The shelling continued for hours. People fled their homes and hid in bunkers with whatever they could carry.
Crops were destroyed, livestock killed.
Several of our neighbors were injured — some critically. As always, the Pakistan Army responded bravely, pushing back the aggression. Emergency teams came, but no aid can heal the invisible scars of fear carved into our hearts.
A War on Our Childhoods
Perhaps the most silent victims of this violence are the young people. I am one of them. Growing up in Neelum Valley, I was taught that our mountains protected us — that the sky was our ceiling and the earth our school.
But how can we study when our schools are shut down for months due to shelling?
How can teachers teach when they fear for their lives?
How can we write when the trembling of explosions snatches the pen from our hands?
Our dreams are being bombed before they even take flight. I once wanted to become a teacher. My cousin dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now, all we dream of is surviving the next night.
We Don’t Want War — We Want Books
We don’t want to fight. We don’t want revenge.
We want to learn, to grow, to build. We want peace.
We want the world to remember that Neelum Valley is not just a border region — it’s our home. And we, its people, deserve the same dignity and protection as anyone else.
On behalf of the residents of Tehjiyan and all border villages of Neelum Valley, I make this heartfelt appeal to the Kashmir Welfare Foundation UK and all who still have compassion left in their hearts:
1. Construct protective bunkers in our border areas. Our children should have a place to hide, not just pray.
2. Provide financial aid to the families whose homes, crops, and livelihoods have been destroyed.
3. Raise our voices internationally. Tell the world what is happening here. Help us reach human rights organisations, the UN, and anyone who can hold India accountable for this cruelty.
4. Strengthen security to protect our people. We need safety, not silence.
Please, don’t let the pain of Neelum Valley be another forgotten tragedy.
We, the children of this land, want to write a future — not a eulogy.
Sincerely,
Emaan Sharafat, Representative, Tehjiyan Area, Neelum Valley
Date: 08-05-2025
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