‘Fear Cannot Override the Passion to Tell People’s Stories’
By Nazim Ali Manhas & Syed Basharat-ul-Hassan
Poonch, DD: Reporting from a conflict zone demands not just professionalism but extraordinary courage—especially when your own family is caught in the crossfire. In Poonch, where Pakistani artillery shells recently rained down on civilian areas, two local journalists stood firm in their mission to bear witness.
On 7 May 2025, just after 1 AM, the Pakistan Army unleashed heavy cross-border shelling, targeting residential areas, schools, and public infrastructure in Poonch City and its surrounding regions. The barrage continued unabated, plunging residents into panic and forcing many to flee.
Veteran journalist Nazim Ali Manhas was monitoring Indo-Pak developments on his phone when the first explosion shattered the silence of the night.
“As is routine, I was up late. After 1 AM, I heard a loud explosion, followed by increasingly intense firing across the Line of Control. It was unlike anything I’d experienced before,” he recalled.
Shells landed perilously close—one striking just 200 metres from his home. As fear gripped the neighbourhood, Manhas and his family, including young children, rushed to another room for safety.
“I was terrified for my family’s safety,” he admitted. “By morning, many residents had already started evacuating. The fear was palpable—people were desperate to get away.”
Manhas relocated his family to their native village, then returned to his home to continue his work. “Now, only two other people and I remain in the locality. All residential houses are locked—there’s an eerie silence everywhere,” he said.
Despite the emotional toll, he remains committed to his profession. “I will continue to report. I’m not afraid anymore because my family is safe,” he said.
Syed Basharat-ul-Hassan, a journalist with Diplomat Digital, shared a similar ordeal. “I moved my family to a safer village, but my father is still at home. I’m trying to relocate him too. It’s no longer safe here.”
Hassan praised the local police and army for helping evacuate civilians, including his in-laws who were rescued from a heavily shelled area.
“In my lifetime, I’ve never seen Poonch City under direct fire. The fear is unprecedented. People are using any means possible to leave,” he said, balancing his duty as a reporter with the urgent responsibility of protecting his family.
Their stories are a powerful reminder that, even amid artillery fire, the commitment to truth and storytelling endures—unshaken and unyielding (DD)
