Daily Times

Just a few months ago, this remote mountainous northern strip of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) called Neelam Valley was blazing with bullets as Indian and Pakistani forces were exchanging fire.

Now the mountains as high as 17,000 feet along the 740 kilometers Line of Control (LoC), that divides Jammu and Kashmir into India and Pakistan are blurring and echoing with sounds of loudspeakers, as electioneering picks up in AJK to elect regional assembly on July 25. A convoy of over two dozen jeeps and buses is making its way on a narrow and battered hilly road along the gushing waters of Neelam River also known as Kishanganga River.

Their destination is Kail – a small town of scenic Neelam Valley – just a few meters away from the highly militarized and world’s most dangerous border. The 144 km long strip of Neelam Valley is bordered by the Kupwara and Bandipora districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on the southern side across the LoC.

In the picturesque valley perched in Harmukh mountains part of great Himalayas, around noon under clear skies, over 2,000 people have gathered in the sprawling sports ground of a government college in Kail to show support to their candidate, belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Prime Minister Imran Khan, which is taking part in the upcoming elections as a favorite.

Some youths have their faces painted in the party flag colors.

“Until a few months ago, it was hard to imagine about a public gathering here,” Zafar Ali, a participant, said while speaking to Anadolu Agency.

Just a few meters away, right in the middle of the bazaar, large-size banners of the candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) of the three-time Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of the slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, are placed, indicating a tough contest between the three parties.

This rally took more than two hours to cover a 20 km (12 mi) distance from the Sharda town, to reach Kail due to sloppy terrain.