In Kashmir, living a few meters from loved ones, but out of reach

Kashmiri Raja Basharat can see his brother's grave on the other side of the river which divides this disputed region between India and Pakistan, but cannot go there for Eid al-Adha, as is the tradition for Muslims.

The religious festival was a painful reminder of the separation imposed on Kashmiri families between the two parts of the Himalayan region, in an ever more tense atmosphere after a sharp escalation last year.

"Eid is a festival of joy and celebration, but for us it has become a symbol of sorrow, sadness and helplessness," says Raja Basharat, who lives in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir.

Looking at the waterway which marks the de facto border, he remembers with pain the death of his brother Raja Liaqat, which occurred in April on the side administered by India.

Instead of going to his brother's grave, just a few meters away, for Eid al-Adha, which ended Thursday in Pakistan, he could only look at it from afar.

“Sometimes I want to jump into this river,” he confides. "If we couldn't live together in this world, then perhaps we could at least rest together after death."

Kashmir has remained a source of tension between nuclear powers India and Pakistan since the partition of British India in 1947.

Both countries claim the entire region, but administer distinct portions of it.

The Line of Control, 740 kilometers long, serves as a military border dividing the territory, crossing mountains, forests, villages and, in some cases, separating families.

- This river "torn families apart" -

Over the decades, weddings, funerals and family celebrations have often taken place without the presence of loved ones who live only a very short distance away.

"This river is visible to everyone today, but in reality it has not only divided two countries, it has also torn families apart," says Laiba Raja, Raja Liaqat's niece. “During Eid, people visit their loved ones (...) but where are we supposed to go?”

For years, families separated by the border would gather on opposite banks of the river to greet each other and briefly catch a glimpse of their loved ones.

But the renewed tensions between the two countries and the strengthening of security measures have almost made these informal face-to-face meetings disappear.

Ties between the two neighboring countries strained last year after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead, triggering their worst conflict in decades.

According to Uzair Ahmed, the leader of a Kashmiri refugee organization based in the Pakistan-administered part, around 48,000 refugees are currently living in camps.