NEELUM VALLEY: Amid the majestic valleys and high peaks of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), increased tensions between India and Pakistan have resulted in barren highways and vacant hotel rooms at the beginning of what is often the busiest travel season.
Since India accused Pakistan of supporting a shooting that killed 26 civilians in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on April 22, tensions between the nuclear-armed archrivals have escalated.
While Islamabad earlier this week warned that they had “credible intelligence” that India was preparing impending strikes, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted his military “full operational freedom” to react.
As temperatures climb across the rest of the country, May is high season in the cooler Neelum Valley, AJK’s tourist hub.
