The India-Pakistan Conflict Is Over, But the Aftermath for Civilians May Be Even Worse

KASHMIR, INDIA — On April 22, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a town in India-administered Kashmir, killed 26 people and became the pretext for a military and diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan. India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, saying that it was targeting militant bases across the border, while Pakistan denied involvement before launching its own strikes on India. A May 10 ceasefire halted hostilities and local officials have formed assessment teams. 

Although the conflict was short-lived, the consequences for people on both sides continue. From destroyed homes, the loss of family members, ruined crops and shattered businesses, insufficient government support and general neglect has left many struggling to recover. In May, I visited villages by the Line of Control border (LoC) — the military boundary that separates the Indian-administered portion of Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — and spoke with residents about the impact on their homes and livelihoods.

Losing a mother

Nargis Begum was among those caught in the horror of May 7, 2025. The mother of six was sleeping peacefully in her home in Rajarwani, a small village near the LoC, when loud explosions and artillery shelling rocked the neighborhood. As houses collapsed under the heavy strikes, people rushed outside, desperate to escape, only to find the once-peaceful streets covered in debris. Many lost their lives — some inside their homes, others while running for safety. 

Saqib Bashir Khan, Begum’s oldest son, spoke to Truthdig from his single-room home in Rajarwani. He said that when heavy fighting started between Indian and Pakistani troops, his mother and family fled to the Baramulla district for safety. However, as they did so, a shell fragment hit their cab, leaving Begum severely injured. She was rushed to Mohra District Hospital, but did not survive. 

“For nearly 12 hours on May 7, our family hid in a single room on the top floor of the house as relentless shelling continued. Seeing no end to the attacks, my mother and some relatives left on May 8 at around 9:30 p.m,” said Bashir. He described a dangerous journey, traveling in two cars with 18 others, and then the shell exploding in front of their vehicle and shrapnel ripping through the upper part of the car. 

“My mother was a midday meal worker earning only 1,000 rupees (U.S. $11.64) per month,” said Bashir. Such workers help prepare and serve midday meals in government schools. “My father suffers from several diseases and has been bedridden since her death,” he said, explaining that he is a worker without stable employment, and now faces financial difficulties. 

“My youngest sister has taken my mother’s place at school as a midday meal worker, while another sister’s marriage after Eid has forced us to take out a bank loan,” he said.

The shelling destroyed his village. With 45 houses in Rajarwani, most of the villagers were evacuated by May 8, and the Hindu news site reported that many other villages by the LoC were similarly evacuated. Rajarwani residents told Truthdig the local government authorities didn’t warn them nor hold mock drills, and there are no bunkers, despite being so close to the LoC. Hence, when the families fled, it was disorganized, and they left their belongings behind.

Losing homes

Mehmood Ali, a laborer from Gingal, a small village near Uri town, was devastated to lose his home twice. On the night of May 8, as intense shelling threatened his village, Ali made the heartbreaking decision to flee with his family of nine to a friend’s house in Sheri, Baramulla district. Just half an hour after they left, a mortar shell struck, destroying his home. The next day, he saw the news on television, confirming his worst fears.    

“It wasn’t the first time I suffered such a loss. Back in October 2005, an earthquake had wiped out my entire home. Back then, I got only a small amount of government help; 130,000 rupees (U.S. $1,509). Still, I had to take on big loans to rebuild everything, and it took me years to repay my debts,” Ali told Truthdig.

He said this time he doesn’t expect to receive any financial support. Insurance companies have refused to cover war-related destruction, leaving him with the burden of rebuilding. He estimated that it would cost 1.5 million rupees (U.S. $17,419). 

“I am a contract laborer earning 20,000 rupees (U.S. $232) per month, struggling to support my family. My children’s school fees and the rent for my temporary shelter only add on more worries. As the sole provider, I am now facing an uncertain future, unsure of when — or if — I will ever have a home of my own again,” he said.

A similar incident occurred 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Gingal village, where Rameez Ahmad, a painter from Gharkote, experienced a heartbreaking ordeal. While working in Srinagar, he received a shocking call from his sister — his father had been seriously injured by an undetonated mortar shell explosion. Ahmad rushed home, only to find his house damaged by cross-border shelling.

In a phone interview, Ahmad told Truthdig that his family, who had been sheltering at a relative’s home during the attack, returned home on May 10. But as his father opened the door, an unexploded shell detonated, rupturing the veins in his hands. “I rushed with my father to the Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors performed plastic surgery to save his hand,” he said.

Ahmad said he received just a small amount of compensation from the government; a blanket and 6,500 rupees (U.S. $75). However, he said rebuilding his home would cost nearly 500,000 rupees (U.S. $5,806). 

“That’s out of my reach as a laborer and the only provider for my family. It’s hard for me to even think about rebuilding my home with how expensive everything is these days,” he said.

A villager dies from shock 

Ahsan Lone, a volunteer with the Abshar Trust, a nonprofit in Uri, told Truthdig about a case in Parampilla village, where a resident applied for government relief after his home was destroyed in the cross-border shelling. However, when he received just 6,500 rupees (U.S. $75) from the local administration, the shock and disappointment overwhelmed him, leading to his death. 

Lone said he spoke with the victim’s family and learned that the cost of rebuilding their home would be around 1.5 million rupees (U.S. $17,419).

According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, 2,060 structures were damaged across Jammu and Kashmir due to heavy gunfire and artillery shelling during the four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan from May 7 to 10. However, compensation has been insufficient, with most receiving only 6,500 rupees and blankets, while others received 130,000 rupees (U.S. $1,509).

The home ministry has also announced a special compensation package of 200,000 rupees (U.S. $2,309) for each fully damaged house and 100,000 rupees (U.S. $1,154) for those partially damaged. However, the funds haven’t been released yet, residents told Lone. 

Schooling has also suffered, Lone said. In Gingal village, students lost books, uniforms and important documents, and many have struggled to study while having to live in makeshift tents. 

The struggle to rebuild 

The cross-border conflict has left not only homes in ruins but also wiped out businesses, shops and livelihoods. Netra Prakash Sharma, a shopkeeper from Bandi Brahmanan village, saw his cosmetic shop and its stock, worth 800,000 rupees (U.S. $9,319), burnt to ashes during the shelling on May 8. The devastation didn’t stop there — his house was also destroyed, leaving his family of five to live in the damaged remains.

While standing in front of his destroyed shop, Sharma told Truthdig it would cost 4 million rupees (U.S. $46,596) to rebuild his home. 

“I didn’t get any financial help, so I had to take a loan of 300,000 rupees (U.S. $3,483) just for the most urgent repairs,” he said.

“And I’m not alone. My neighbors, Sajad Hussain and Parvez Ahmed, also lost their businesses and hotels … along with their homes,” he added, noting that while the government has announced some compensation for damaged homes, there’s no support for small business owners.  

Similarly, Neetu Sharma, a shopkeeper from Dungus, Poonch district, had her world turned upside down on May 7 when cross-border shelling ravaged her clothing and footwear shop, which she had opened just six months ago to support her 5-year-old daughter’s hearing treatment. It was destroyed, with goods worth 100,000 rupees (U.S. $1,167) burnt.

Standing before her damaged shop, Sharma shared with Truthdig the weight of her financial hardship, “Despite filing for compensation, no aid has come — not from the government, administration or insurance companies.”

Twins and a young artist killed in the shelling

On the morning of May 7, tragedy struck Dungus, Poonch district, as 13-year-old twins Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima lost their lives amid heavy cross-border shelling. Their father, Rameez Khan, was severely injured.

Local activist Sadaqat Ali Mir recounted a tragic sequence of events to Truthdig that unfolded near the home of the twins. He said three mortar shells struck just outside their residence, prompting the family to flee in search of safety. While escaping, a fourth shell detonated nearby, its fragments fatally injuring Urwa. Her brother, Zain, reportedly collapsed and died at the scene, overwhelmed by the trauma of witnessing his sister’s death. Mir confirmed to Truthdig that Zain’s death appeared to be a result of shock induced by the horrific incident. 

Mir witnessed the situation and revealed that smoke engulfed the neighborhood, panic spread and terrified residents ran for their lives. During the chaos, neighbor Paramjit Singh rushed to help Khan — the father of the twins — who had been injured by shrapnel. While trying to rescue him, another shell exploded nearby, severely burning Singh’s right hand.

Standing outside the twins’ former home, landlord Manzoor Ahmed told Truthdig that their parents, devastated by the tragedy, have since moved away from the area to their ancestral village. 

And in the Dungus area of Poonch district, a home once filled with art and creativity now stands as a painful reminder of loss. A framed picture of 13-year-old Vihaan Bhargava, hangs on the wall, paying tribute to a life tragically cut short by the shelling. 

At her home, Rashmi Bhargav, Vihaan’s mother, shared her grief with Truthdig at losing her only child. She described fleeing the city, with six family members in one car. Just 10 minutes outside Poonch, “a shell exploded in front of our vehicle, sending sharp splinters through the roof. One hit Vihaan’s head fatally, tearing his head into two. His lifeless body fell into his father’s lap. Despite the quick arrival of an ambulance, he did not survive. One of our relatives was also badly injured in the attack.”

At his home, Sanjeev Bhargava, Vihaan’s father and a teacher, told Truthdig that his son was passionate about painting and an excellent chess player. “I acknowledge the government’s efforts through Operation Sindoor to combat terrorism, but stress the need to prioritize civilian safety in any future response. I urged authorities to … establish clear safety protocols to help prevent similar tragedies,” he said.

Misinformation in the aftermath

On May 7, around 7 a.m, amidst intense cross-border shelling, Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a teacher, was tragically killed. Teaching four children in his home located near the Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom madrasa campus, Iqbal was caught in the conflict when a shell exploded on a nearby construction building, sending deadly splinters into his house. One struck his neck, critically wounding him. Despite immediate efforts by neighbors and friends to rush him to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

The following day, Indian mainstream news outlets sparked national outrage by falsely declaring Iqbal a “most wanted terrorist.” Reports alleged his involvement in terror recruitment and even linked him to the 2019 Pulwama attack, in which a convoy of security personal was attacked by a suicide bomber. However, Poonch District Police denied the claims against Iqbal via their official X account. 

Maulana Saeed Ahmed Habib, chairperson of Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom Group of Institutions, defended Iqbal’s legacy, describing him to Truthdig as a person with no criminal record. Speaking at his office, he said Iqbal was a postgraduate in Islamic studies, and he had served as a teacher for 21 years. His grieving family, now relocated to their native village of Baila, condemned the media misinformation, as did the local community in Poonch. The incident highlighted the dangers of misinformation during conflict.

Lone added that in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Kashmiri students and Muslims nationwide have faced verbal abuse on campuses, intimidation in public spaces and online vilification. 

“I blame India’s mainstream media for broadly portraying the entire Kashmiri community as complicit in the terror strike — an unfounded generalization,” he said. 

Burnt savings and crops: farmers’ plea for relief

In Karmara village, Poonch district, Mohammad Sharif, a farmer, lost 960,000 rupees (U.S. $11,148) worth of cash when an artillery shell struck his home during cross-border shelling from May 8 to 10. The money, stored in a steel box, was burned beyond recognition, along with other household items and the walls of his home. Now, Sharif roams the streets, clutching his charred currency notes, hoping a bank or government official will offer him new currency in exchange.

Sharif stood in front of his heavily damaged home, holding half-burned currency as he spoke to Truthdig, “I had sold my last piece of farmland to build a secure future. Now, I am staying at my sister’s house, with no home, land or income.” 

Sharif’s family is crammed into the small house with 16 other people, sleeping in the kitchen, struggling to survive. Sharif said he pleads for government assistance, urging the authorities to exchange his burnt currency, provide relief and reimburse families whose homes were destroyed.

Karmara village sits just 2 kilometers from the LoC, and on May 8 its fields paid the price. A single artillery shell reduced farmer Shabir Hussain’s four-acre, 30,000 rupee (U.S. $348) wheat crop to ashes and uprooted a supporting pillar of his home. Standing in his field, Hussain told Truthdig that around 80% of villagers fled during the conflict. 

“I and a few others stayed behind to care for the farm animals. My four cattle were tied up in the courtyard of my house,” he said, adding that the crops he was about to harvest were destroyed in the attack. He has since planted rice but has struggled as he didn’t earn anything from the previous harvest. 

The politics of disaster relief

While Global South countries like India have far less resources to provide support after tragedies, political party differences in India have also led to an insufficient response. India Today highlighted growing concerns over the Indian government’s BJP’s (Bharatiya Janata Party) unequal treatment of opposition-led states like Kerala. Despite suffering major losses in the 2018 and 2019 floods — estimated at over 420 billion rupees (U.S. $5 billion) — Kerala has been excluded twice from central flood relief packages. In the latest announcement, 5.9 trillion rupees (U.S. $690 million) was allocated to seven states, most of them governed by the BJP, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. Kerala’s request for aid was denied without explanation, prompting strong criticism from state leaders. The BJP is also the main opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir.

The pattern raises serious questions about whether disaster relief decisions are being influenced by political affiliations, even as vulnerable communities continue to grapple with the effects of disasters.