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Balakot: What is the status of madrasa and people after one year
Mohammad Zubair Khan, journalist, BBC
Image caption Balakot: One year after the air strike
A year ago, the sparsely populated mountainous region of Pakistan was targeted by the Indian Air Force, it is still closed to the common people.
This area looks completely inaccessible, with an invisible security circle around it and the deployment of an intelligence shield. This situation is when a year has passed for this incident.
Currently, there is no change in Jaba, a small village near Balakot, which has become a tourist center.
In this attack, some part of the house of Nuran Shah, a resident of the village, was also damaged. That house still looks the same. A year later, two of the four pits made by the missile attack are visible.
The area starts in front of the fields of Jaba village located on Balakot road, where Indian planes bombed. After crossing a small river flowing here, one can reach Kangar village. In the winter and summer, this river is filled with water, the locals use it for farming.
Fear in people 's hearts
Last year, when the media persons went to the area after the attack, the local people had given their full help, appearing on camera and explained about the incident. But after one year of the attack, you can feel the attitude of the people changing through the streets here. His gesture shows that no one is ready to talk to you.
Last year, the locals were ready to help on the way to the village of Kangar, but after a year when we crossed the river and reached Kangar, no one agreed to talk to us.
When we asked an elderly person about the incident a year ago, his reply was "One year has passed, now what do you want to know more about?"
After saying this, he left. In the same way, we also tried to talk to some other people, but nobody agreed to talk. These people clearly looked scared.
When we reached Kangar village after walking for almost an hour from the market, the men present in their homes refused to talk to us.
They told that they are not allowed this. If they talk, they will be questioned later.
People also stopped us from taking pictures and making videos and said that this too is not allowed.
' Doing what was told to us '
People living there started calling some people from our mobile phones. On the other hand, when someone picked up the phone, these people told that the media people have come, taking pictures of this place and making videos.
A local man gave us his phone and asked us to talk. When we talked on the phone, the person on the other side clearly said that he is from intelligence agency. He forbade us to take pictures and videos here.
We told that we are not in a restricted area. We had come here last year and reported, even then there was no restriction. Why is the ban after one year?
We also questioned why local people are being stopped to talk to the media?
After that the person said that he will call us again after a while. After five to seven minutes we saw that all the local people around us started leaving from there.
A local man was taking instructions over the phone. We requested him to stay with us for some time.
He told, "We are very poor. We have to stay here. That is why we are doing what we have been told."
Nooran Shah's house in Kangar village is very close to the place where the missile attack took place. When we reached their house, after seeing us, they started going towards the distant mountain.
When I requested him to take some time, he said that he had to go to cut the grass. Although that day was Friday and the locals here do not do any work on Friday, stay at home as a holiday.
Restricted area
Nooran Shah's house is the last house in Kangar village. Above that there are only mountains and forests. The mountainous area above Nuran Shah's house is called Thanna Parvat. It was told that Madrasa Talimul Quran is situated on this hill.
There is no way to go from Nuran Shah's house to Madrasa Talimul Quran. But according to the local people, the madrasa can be reached after walking for half an hour. By the way, the normal route to the madrasa is by the Balakot road passing through the Jaba Bazaar. But no one is allowed to go there by any means.
We were told that anyone can come to Noran Shah's house. Even a year ago, no one was allowed to go beyond this and for a year no one can go to that side. No one knows what is going on there.
Every path leading to Madrasa Talimul Quran, whether it is from Kangar village or Jabba Bazaar, remains unannounced after one year. Some local and foreign journalists have not only been prevented from going to that side but they have also been asked difficult questions.
When a journalist tried to go to the seminary
A journalist told that when he reached here for his story, he was only allowed to go to Noran Shah's house. Nobody stopped them even.
According to the journalist, "When I tried to go upstairs from Noran Shah's house, the locals who brought me up there apologized that they could not take them further from this place. After that I tried to go alone. Five - After a seven-minute climb, people stopped me and said that going alone is not right. It is a mountainous and wooded area, anything can happen. "
"The people who stopped me also said that they would not let me go up because of my safety."
According to this journalist, "The other day I tried to go to Madrasa Talimul Quran via Jaba Bazar Balakot Road. Then some people with plain clothes took me with them. They did not use physical force with me but 10-11 hours I kept answering questions. I was getting many calls from the office, some of my colleagues from foreign numbers were calling me. I was not even questioned about the phone calls. When the women defended the breach, they allowed me to go to my office. "
What happened to another journalist?
Another journalist also told, "I too was going to Madrasa Talimul Quran. Then I was stopped. My laptop, mobile phone, camera were all searched. The car was also searched. I had to call my colleagues or in the office No chance was given. After several hours of questioning I was sent back. "
However, it is said that Madrasa Talimul Quran is closed since the attack.
According to the local people, students were present in the madrasa till the night of the attack and their number would have been between three hundred and four hundred.
According to one person, "When the attack took place, the first thought was that something had happened in the madrasa. But after some time, it was found that bombs were dropped near the madrasa and no harm was done to the madrasa."
The man further adds, "In the morning, we all left for Kangar. But a large number of troops were stationed there. They stopped us from moving forward. They returned before the media people reached there and then Frontier Paramilitary Force personnel arrived. "
Outside students were trained in madrasa
Another person said, "We felt that the madrasa was attacked at night, but in the morning came to know that it was not so. There was no harm to the madrasa. Everything had survived."
According to the local people, the madrasa is closed since the attack. Now there is no one there, nor is there any activity there. However, on some occasions, two persons move out of the madrasa. These two describe themselves as caretakers of the madrasa.
The special thing is that in this madrasa, only outside students were trained. According to the local people, "Our children never went to this madrasa. Our children study the Quran in the madrasa of the local mosque. That madrasa was only for the students who lived in the hostels there."
This madrasa is built on the forest department land on Dhanaah Hill in Jaba village. Where the forest is dense it is called Maser Reserve Forest. The Maser Reserve Forest was included in the International Project Billion Tree Forestation Project in 2015. The objective of this project is conservation of natural environment and forests.
In the area where the madrasa is located, the arrival of people in the area has been very less before.
What is the story of this madrasa?
According to local people, the madrasa was established in the 1980s.
Earlier this madrasa was used for Afghan students. From the 1990s, Pakistani and Kashmiri students took the place of Afghan students in the madrasa.
The now banned organization Harkat-ul-Ansar was established in the early 1990s. Then the administration of this madrasa was in the hands of Harkat-ul-Ansar.
Maulana Masood Azhar was then the editor of Sad-e-Jihad, the magazine of Harkat-ul-Ansar. Later Maulana Masood Azhar was arrested in Indian-administered Kashmir. After this, Azhar was released after the hijacking of an Indian aircraft. Maulana Masood Azhar, who arrived in Pakistan after his release, formed the organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (which was later banned) and the madrasa was then directly under his control.
After the attack last year, there was also a hoarding of Madrasa Talimul Quran on Balakot Road, which was also visited by the international media but now such boards are not visible.
Tourist attraction center
After the attack last year, the areas of Kangar and Jaba have become tourist centers. Tourists come to Naran, Kaghan, Balakot and other areas and stay here.
Last year, Khurram Khan of Abbottabad went to Naran with his family in Kangar area. They say that their children saw the area where the Indian Air Force attacked.
He says that he stayed in that area for some time and kept wandering for some time.
Balakot taxi driver Sardar Farhan told that after the attack, a large number of people started coming here. When the number of such people started increasing, we were explicitly told not to bring anyone to this side.
Local people also told us that when a lot of people started coming to this area, they were told not to help those who come here.
Since then, the local people have closed their doors for tourists. But still some people reach here due to curiosity.
https://www.bbc.com/hindi/international-51644053
Mohammad Zubair Khan, journalist, BBC
- 27 February 2020
Image caption Balakot: One year after the air strike
A year ago, the sparsely populated mountainous region of Pakistan was targeted by the Indian Air Force, it is still closed to the common people.
This area looks completely inaccessible, with an invisible security circle around it and the deployment of an intelligence shield. This situation is when a year has passed for this incident.
Currently, there is no change in Jaba, a small village near Balakot, which has become a tourist center.
In this attack, some part of the house of Nuran Shah, a resident of the village, was also damaged. That house still looks the same. A year later, two of the four pits made by the missile attack are visible.
The area starts in front of the fields of Jaba village located on Balakot road, where Indian planes bombed. After crossing a small river flowing here, one can reach Kangar village. In the winter and summer, this river is filled with water, the locals use it for farming.
Fear in people 's hearts
Last year, when the media persons went to the area after the attack, the local people had given their full help, appearing on camera and explained about the incident. But after one year of the attack, you can feel the attitude of the people changing through the streets here. His gesture shows that no one is ready to talk to you.
Last year, the locals were ready to help on the way to the village of Kangar, but after a year when we crossed the river and reached Kangar, no one agreed to talk to us.
When we asked an elderly person about the incident a year ago, his reply was "One year has passed, now what do you want to know more about?"
After saying this, he left. In the same way, we also tried to talk to some other people, but nobody agreed to talk. These people clearly looked scared.
When we reached Kangar village after walking for almost an hour from the market, the men present in their homes refused to talk to us.
They told that they are not allowed this. If they talk, they will be questioned later.
People also stopped us from taking pictures and making videos and said that this too is not allowed.
' Doing what was told to us '
People living there started calling some people from our mobile phones. On the other hand, when someone picked up the phone, these people told that the media people have come, taking pictures of this place and making videos.
A local man gave us his phone and asked us to talk. When we talked on the phone, the person on the other side clearly said that he is from intelligence agency. He forbade us to take pictures and videos here.
We told that we are not in a restricted area. We had come here last year and reported, even then there was no restriction. Why is the ban after one year?
We also questioned why local people are being stopped to talk to the media?
After that the person said that he will call us again after a while. After five to seven minutes we saw that all the local people around us started leaving from there.
A local man was taking instructions over the phone. We requested him to stay with us for some time.
He told, "We are very poor. We have to stay here. That is why we are doing what we have been told."
Nooran Shah's house in Kangar village is very close to the place where the missile attack took place. When we reached their house, after seeing us, they started going towards the distant mountain.
When I requested him to take some time, he said that he had to go to cut the grass. Although that day was Friday and the locals here do not do any work on Friday, stay at home as a holiday.
Restricted area
Nooran Shah's house is the last house in Kangar village. Above that there are only mountains and forests. The mountainous area above Nuran Shah's house is called Thanna Parvat. It was told that Madrasa Talimul Quran is situated on this hill.
There is no way to go from Nuran Shah's house to Madrasa Talimul Quran. But according to the local people, the madrasa can be reached after walking for half an hour. By the way, the normal route to the madrasa is by the Balakot road passing through the Jaba Bazaar. But no one is allowed to go there by any means.
We were told that anyone can come to Noran Shah's house. Even a year ago, no one was allowed to go beyond this and for a year no one can go to that side. No one knows what is going on there.
Every path leading to Madrasa Talimul Quran, whether it is from Kangar village or Jabba Bazaar, remains unannounced after one year. Some local and foreign journalists have not only been prevented from going to that side but they have also been asked difficult questions.
When a journalist tried to go to the seminary
A journalist told that when he reached here for his story, he was only allowed to go to Noran Shah's house. Nobody stopped them even.
According to the journalist, "When I tried to go upstairs from Noran Shah's house, the locals who brought me up there apologized that they could not take them further from this place. After that I tried to go alone. Five - After a seven-minute climb, people stopped me and said that going alone is not right. It is a mountainous and wooded area, anything can happen. "
"The people who stopped me also said that they would not let me go up because of my safety."
According to this journalist, "The other day I tried to go to Madrasa Talimul Quran via Jaba Bazar Balakot Road. Then some people with plain clothes took me with them. They did not use physical force with me but 10-11 hours I kept answering questions. I was getting many calls from the office, some of my colleagues from foreign numbers were calling me. I was not even questioned about the phone calls. When the women defended the breach, they allowed me to go to my office. "
What happened to another journalist?
Another journalist also told, "I too was going to Madrasa Talimul Quran. Then I was stopped. My laptop, mobile phone, camera were all searched. The car was also searched. I had to call my colleagues or in the office No chance was given. After several hours of questioning I was sent back. "
However, it is said that Madrasa Talimul Quran is closed since the attack.
According to the local people, students were present in the madrasa till the night of the attack and their number would have been between three hundred and four hundred.
According to one person, "When the attack took place, the first thought was that something had happened in the madrasa. But after some time, it was found that bombs were dropped near the madrasa and no harm was done to the madrasa."
The man further adds, "In the morning, we all left for Kangar. But a large number of troops were stationed there. They stopped us from moving forward. They returned before the media people reached there and then Frontier Paramilitary Force personnel arrived. "
Outside students were trained in madrasa
Another person said, "We felt that the madrasa was attacked at night, but in the morning came to know that it was not so. There was no harm to the madrasa. Everything had survived."
According to the local people, the madrasa is closed since the attack. Now there is no one there, nor is there any activity there. However, on some occasions, two persons move out of the madrasa. These two describe themselves as caretakers of the madrasa.
The special thing is that in this madrasa, only outside students were trained. According to the local people, "Our children never went to this madrasa. Our children study the Quran in the madrasa of the local mosque. That madrasa was only for the students who lived in the hostels there."
This madrasa is built on the forest department land on Dhanaah Hill in Jaba village. Where the forest is dense it is called Maser Reserve Forest. The Maser Reserve Forest was included in the International Project Billion Tree Forestation Project in 2015. The objective of this project is conservation of natural environment and forests.
In the area where the madrasa is located, the arrival of people in the area has been very less before.
What is the story of this madrasa?
According to local people, the madrasa was established in the 1980s.
Earlier this madrasa was used for Afghan students. From the 1990s, Pakistani and Kashmiri students took the place of Afghan students in the madrasa.
The now banned organization Harkat-ul-Ansar was established in the early 1990s. Then the administration of this madrasa was in the hands of Harkat-ul-Ansar.
Maulana Masood Azhar was then the editor of Sad-e-Jihad, the magazine of Harkat-ul-Ansar. Later Maulana Masood Azhar was arrested in Indian-administered Kashmir. After this, Azhar was released after the hijacking of an Indian aircraft. Maulana Masood Azhar, who arrived in Pakistan after his release, formed the organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (which was later banned) and the madrasa was then directly under his control.
After the attack last year, there was also a hoarding of Madrasa Talimul Quran on Balakot Road, which was also visited by the international media but now such boards are not visible.
Tourist attraction center
After the attack last year, the areas of Kangar and Jaba have become tourist centers. Tourists come to Naran, Kaghan, Balakot and other areas and stay here.
Last year, Khurram Khan of Abbottabad went to Naran with his family in Kangar area. They say that their children saw the area where the Indian Air Force attacked.
He says that he stayed in that area for some time and kept wandering for some time.
Balakot taxi driver Sardar Farhan told that after the attack, a large number of people started coming here. When the number of such people started increasing, we were explicitly told not to bring anyone to this side.
Local people also told us that when a lot of people started coming to this area, they were told not to help those who come here.
Since then, the local people have closed their doors for tourists. But still some people reach here due to curiosity.
https://www.bbc.com/hindi/international-51644053
