..AZAD KASHMIR, PAKISTAN - MAY 13, 2025: Life is gradually returning to normal in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, near the Line of Control, on Tuesday (May 13), following a ceasefire that ended days of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India However, the scars of the recent violence remain fresh, with local residents still reeling from the aftermath of the attacks. “When the firing started, we were busy with our routine work,” said Salim Kuraysh, a local resident. “The fire came directly—it hit inside the bunker. A girl was martyred. We couldn’t even lift her body; the firing was so intense that shells were falling everywhere.” Kuraysh said he and his family spent the entire night sheltering in a bunker. When they emerged, their home was destroyed. “Our lives have completely changed,” he said. Another resident, Muhammad Nazir, described the shelling’s toll on livelihoods. “We are poor people. I earn my living through labor just to feed my family. Our livelihoods have been completely affected by India’s shelling,” he said. “Life is slowly returning to normal, but earlier, everyone was so afraid that even stepping outside felt dangerous—we would feel like the shells could fall on us at any moment.” For several days, the two forces exchanged missiles and fire after India launched military strikes across Pakistan in response to the April 22 killing of 26 people in a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack in Pahalgam, claiming there were cross-border links. Pakistan had denied involvement and offered a neutral probe.