NEELUM VALLEY (Kashmir English): For 35 years, Safeer Ahmad Butt, a Kashmiri refugee who fled Indian-administered Kashmir, has lived in Azad Kashmir, longing to be reunited with his family left behind across the Line of Control (LoC). Circumstances of conflict have isolated him from his family members, and he now asks for a humanitarian visa policy to simply reunite with his loved ones.
Speaking to Kashmir Digital, Safeer Ahmad shared the emotional toll of living apart from his parents and extended family for more than three decades. “We fled the violence and oppression in Indian-occupied Kashmir to save our lives. The situation had become unbearable,” he said.
Safeer and his family crossed the LoC and settled in Kiran, a village in Azad Kashmir’s Neelum Valley. There, he found both safety and compassion. “The government of Pakistan, and especially the people of this region, treated us with incredible kindness,” he recalled. “They welcomed us into their homes and hearts. We never felt like outsiders.”
Although Safeer is grateful for the life he has been able to rebuild in Azad Kashmir, the pain of separation from his family remains unresolved. “We have lived in different places, including refugee camps, since arriving here. We are thankful for the support, but the ache of not seeing our loved ones never fades,” he said with a heavy heart.
Despite the passage of time, Safeer’s hope for reunion has not diminished. He has called upon the authorities to facilitate a meeting with his family under the cross-border visa policy, which has remained limited due to political tensions and security concerns.
“This is not a political issue for us; it is about humanity, about family,” he said. “I just want to see my parents and siblings, even if just once more in my lifetime.”
Safeer’s story is the melancholic echo of the experience of many Kashmiri refugees who had to separate as a result of Indian atrocities on innocent people. His plea serves as a reminder of the human cost of borders and the deep yearning for connection that transcends political divides.
