Scared of aftershocks, PoK resident crosses LoC

The grass is always greener on the other side. For Mohammed Ismail Chaudhry, it happened to be across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

The tailor from Pakistan occupied Kashmir ran across the LoC near Kaman Post on Tuesday, scared by the repeated aftershocks there in the hope of finding stable ground on the Indian side, defence sources said in Uri on Wednesday.

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While the man was trying to cross over the LoC, the Pakistani troops asked him to stop but he ignored their directions and rushed towards this side, following which the Pakistani troops pelted stones at him but he evaded them all, sources told PTI.

Army personnel detained the intruder, who was let off later, they added.

Chaudhry, who claims to head the Anpad (illiterate) party in PoK, told defence officials that he wanted to flee the place as repeated aftershocks in Muzaffarabad and other adjoining areas had instilled  a fear of death in him.    

"Everyone fears that another killer earthquake will wipe out all forms of life in Muzaffarabad and many people wanted to take refuge on this side of Line of Control," he said.     

Both PoK and the Kashmir have been rocked by a series of aftershooks since the October eight killer quake, which claimed thousands of lives and wiped away several villages in the affected areas.

The sources said Chaudhry has relatives in Uri and named some of them.

Upon investigation, Chaudhry's family was traced out and his claims proved to be genuine, the sources said.

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