New Delhi: Holding white flags under heavy rain, hundreds of peace activists, students, and members of civil society gathered near the Line of Control (LoC) Monday in the Nakyal sector of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) before moving towards the border village of Druri.
Their demand: An end to cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam terror attack as it affects the lives of people on either side of the LoC the most.
The demonstration—organised by the Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP), the Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF), and supported by local trade and civil society groups—marked a rare public call for peace from a region often caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical conflict.
“This blood may be ours or theirs—but it is human blood,” said Ali Shah Nawaz, a peace and social activist from the Nakyal sector, addressing the rally near the zero point of the LoC. “Whether war happens at sunrise or sunset, a war is still a war. And it is our homes that are destroyed, our families that live in fear.”
The protesters called for an end to the ongoing military tensions that continue to wreak havoc on the communities along the LoC, with many saying the daily threat of crossfire and shelling has left their lives in a state of permanent emergency.
Both sides have exchanged small arms firing for the 12th straight night along the LoC.
Wahid Kashir, a political and peace activist from PoK, told ThePrint that the movement was not only a response to current clashes but a broader rejection of the decades-long proxy conflict.
“The white flag march is a symbol of the people’s will. From the very beginning, we’ve rejected these proxy wars. We believe the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved peacefully—with the consent of the people who live here,” he said over the phone.
He pointed to the bitter irony of life under militarisation. “India has the IPL (Indian Premier League). Pakistan has the PSL (Pakistan Super League). Why do we only get sirens and shelters? Our dreams are shattered before they begin—one bomb can wipe out an entire family,” Kashir added.
The demonstrators expressed frustration over how the region continues to be sacrificed in the name of national pride. “Why is it that the people on the borders are always the ones who die?” Nawaz asked. “If Delhi and Islamabad want to fight, let them fight in their own cities. Why must we be their battleground?”
There was also a collective call for sustained civil resistance and more white flag marches along the LoC. “This is just the beginning,” Kashir said. “The white flag march will spread. And our message is clear—we reject violence from all sides. We reject terrorism in all forms. And we reject being pawns in a war that brings us only ruins.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)