Wary villagers relish peace as guns fall silent along LoC

Living just 850 metres away from the Pakistan Army positions on the hill slopes of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), villagers of Balkote and Silikote near the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla’s Uri are finally picking up the threads of life, which was badly frayed by frequent shelling and sniping in the last three years. It has been over a week since the guns have fallen silent on the LoC after the renewed pact on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. However, people here are waiting and watching how long the ceasefire will hold, as the two countries have begun tentative contacts after a gap of five years.