Pakistan-India tensions force tourists to give up exploring Neelum Valley

Tensions between Pakistan and India have forced many tourists to give up their trip to the famous Neelum Valley in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir.

Neelum Valley is vulnerable to military operations as it is located less than three kilometers away from the Line of Control, which is deemed the border dividing the India-controlled and Pakistan controlled parts of Kashmir.

Many tourists had to halt their trip at the popular Dhani Waterfall as local authorities issued a ban on entering the Neelum Valley, disappointing those who had long been eager for the tourist attraction and driven for hours to get there.

"Firstly, they shouldn't have let the tourists enter Kashmir from Kohala. It wasted a lot of their time. Now they are asking them to turn from the Neelum checkpost," said Mubashir Ali, a local resident.

The security concerns have also emptied guest houses and hotels in the valley, affecting local tourism and people's livelihood a lot.

Tensions between the two South Asian neighbors have escalated following a deadly attack on tourists in the India-controlled Kashmir town of Pahalgam on April 22, in which at least 25 people were killed, according to Indian media reports.

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Pakistan has strongly denied.

On April 23, the Indian government announced several measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, border closure, and the expulsion of Pakistani personnel.

India's Ministry of External Affairs announced on April 24 that it would suspend all categories of visas for Pakistani nationals starting immediately, and advised Indian citizens against traveling to Pakistan.

In response, Pakistan announced countermeasures against India on April 24, including closing down the Wagah Border Post, suspending certain visa facilities for Indian nationals, declaring the Indian Defense, Naval and Air Advisors in Islamabad persona non grata, closing Pakistan's airspace for all Indian airlines, and suspending all trade activities with India.

Pakistan-India tensions force tourists to give up exploring Neelum Valley

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday condemned U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iranian civil facilities including schools and hospitals as unjustifiable under international law and humanitarian principles.

Iran does not seek war and instability and always insists on dialogue and constructive engagement with other countries, Pezeshkian said in a meeting with a group of medical staff in Tehran.

Pezeshkian condemned the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, saying Iran had committed no crime.

"When they [the United States and Iran] attack schools, and maternity wards in hospitals, they don't respect any humanitarian principles. It's shameful and the world needs to see this. They claim we are terrorists, but they are the real terrorists who massacre anyone, anywhere, anytime they want. Now they stand on the stage and talk about human rights. It's shameful," he said.

Pezeshkian stated that the unity and cohesion of the Iranian people had thwarted enemy plots. He also praised the professionalism shown by the Iranian Red Crescent Society during the war.

The 40-day U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, starting Feb 28, killed Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and more than 3,000 civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on April 8. Lengthy talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations were later held in Pakistan's Islamabad, but failed to produce an agreement.

Attacks targeting civil facilities unjustifiable under international law: Iranian president