CHARUNDA, India, 24 October 2005 — Residents of this hamlet on the heavily militarized frontier dividing Kashmir between Pakistan and India have pleaded to be allowed to cross a shallow stream to assist their quake-stricken relatives on the other side — and to help mourn their dead.

“It is my last wish to cross over to that village and console my friends and relatives,” said 96-year-old Lal Din, sitting on a cot and pointing across the brook to quake-ravaged Sajiwar village in the Pakistani zone of the disputed region.

“They have suffered more than us and my people are very eager to go there and help them in rebuilding their homes and lives,” said Din.

“They (villagers) say we might get a chance to visit them.” India on Saturday said it planned to set up relief centers along the Line of Control (LOC), the cease-fire line that in 1949 split Kashmir in two — two-thirds to India and one-third to Pakistan.

The centers would provide relief for Kashmiris in the Pakistani zone, which bore the brunt of the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake that rocked South Asia.

Islamabad has reported more than 53,000 people killed, over 75,000 injured and 3.3 million left homeless by the disaster. India says 1,300 died in its sector of Kashmir.

India’s proposal came days after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said the LOC should be opened for survivors to cross so they can help their quake-hit relatives.

“(Talk of opening the LOC) has given us hope that we may be able to cross over to help our relatives soon,” said Nazir Hussain of neighboring Batgra hamlet, who lost his mother in the rubble of his destroyed house.

Both Charunda and Batgra are far from Kaman post in Uri sector, one of the three points where India proposes to set up relief camps, and residents here say they should be allowed to cross over in the immediate vicinity.

“The best thing would be to allow us to visit Sajiwar in the morning and return in the evening,” said Hussain.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army in Kashmir will use mules and helicopters to ensure planned relief camps for earthquake survivors from the Pakistan zone of the divided region are operational by tomorrow, an army spokesman said. Despite damaged roads and bridges, the camps at three points along the de facto border in Kashmir will be ready in time should the Pakistani government give the go-ahead for the plan, said army spokesman Vijay Batra.

The centers, which would provide relief to survivors in the hardest hit Pakistani zone, would be operational by tomorrow, foreign affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna told a media conference.

“People from across the Line of Control will be allowed to come in during daylight hours after suitable screening and then return,” Sarna said.

“Arrangements are being made for providing relief material, medical aid, food, drinking water and temporary accommodation at these points.”

“All the three centers can be made operational in time despite damaged roads and bridges,” Batra told AFP yesterday.

He said army has made a mule track operational up to the Kaman Post as it would take 45 days to repair an eight-kilometer (five-mile) stretch of the vehicular road wrecked by the earthquake.

“We are repairing the road on a war footing,” said Batra, adding that the army would use the mule track to carry relief items to Kaman Post. “And if need arises we will airlift supplies to the LOC,” he said.

Policeman Killed in Pointblank

Shooting in Quake-Hit Kashmir

A federal policeman was killed yesterday and another injured in a pointblank shooting by suspected militants in quake-hit Indian Kashmir’s main city Srinagar, police said.

The shooting took place in busy Goni Khan area as people in large numbers were purchasing garments and footwear from the roadside stalls which are set up every Sunday in downtown Srinagar.

“Gunmen walked up to the two policemen and opened fire at them from pointblank range,” a police spokesman said, adding one of them died instantly, while another was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The shooting sparked panic among the shoppers, who ran in different directions fearing retaliation from police.