Kashmir, Pakistan – The joy of Eid al-Adha turns into painful moments for Kashmiri families on the banks of the Neelum River. There, relatives divided by the border between the Pakistani- and Indian-administered parts of Kashmir can only wave to one another from afar.
Eid on Both Sides of the River
In the town of Keran in Azad Kashmir, on the Pakistani-administered side, families gather on the riverbank facing relatives across the water. The distance appears short to the eye. However, for them it represents years of separation and helplessness. The holiday reopens wounds that have never fully healed. This happens with every Eid.
“AFP” reported that these families experience Eid al-Adha with conflicting emotions. For many, the holiday is associated with joy and reunion. In contrast, for some Kashmiris it has become a painful reminder of the division imposed by borders on families, villages, and memories.
A Brother Who Died Beyond the Border
Raja Basharat, a Kashmiri man from the Pakistani-administered side, says Eid has arrived once again without him being able to cross the river to reach the grave of his brother, who died in Indian-administered Kashmir. He says, with deep sorrow, that he was denied the chance to see him one last time or attend his funeral. Additionally, he could not visit his grave or offer prayers there.
Basharat describes the borders as having separated family members in life. Moreover, he expresses hope that these distances will end after death. He hopes relatives can rest side by side after being denied the chance to meet while alive.
Eid Turns Into Grief
His sister, Nusrat Raja, says the holiday that is supposed to be an occasion for joy and family gathering has become, for them, a time of sorrow and mourning. She says her brother’s death on the other side of Kashmir left the family with deep pain. This pain is amplified because they could not carry his coffin or take part in his final farewell.
The scenes show families raising their hands in prayer for relatives who died on the other side. Meanwhile, others wave to loved ones separated from them only by the river. Tears flow in a scene that captures a human tragedy extending far beyond political headlines.
A River Separating Hearts and Families
Laiba Raja, 17, says the Neelum River does not only separate two countries, but has also become a barrier between hearts and families. She explains that half of her relatives live on one bank, while the other half live across the river. She asks where the family is supposed to go on a holiday meant to bring loved ones together.
Laiba adds that her relatives and cousins live there, and that she has not even been able to see them up close, despite her sense of belonging to the land her father comes from. For her, Kashmir is no longer just a disputed region. It is a family home she can see from afar and cannot reach.
The Human Pain Behind the Conflict
While Kashmir remains one of the most sensitive issues in relations between India and Pakistan, the stories of these families reveal a human side of the conflict. Loss is not measured only by maps, but by postponed reunions, funerals missed by loved ones, and holidays spent on opposite banks. On the banks of the Neelum River, the distance between families does not seem far. However, borders make it harsher than geography. And during Eid al-Adha, when people gather around tables and loved ones, some Kashmiris remain confined to one bank. They wave to those they love from afar, carrying in their hearts a homeland and a family they cannot reach.
