A grief divided: funeral held on the Kishanganga’s banks prompts calls to reopen LoC crossing points
The funeral of Raja Liaquat Ali Khan, held on the banks of the Kishanganga river, has sparked renewed calls to reopen crossing points along the Line of Control in Kashmir. His family, divided by the border, was unable to gather fully for the ceremony due to restrictions imposed in 2019. The event has drawn attention to the ongoing plight of families separated by the conflict in the region.
- ▪Raja Liaquat Ali Khan died on April 26, prompting a unique funeral attended by his divided family.
- ▪The crossing points along the Line of Control were closed by the Union government in 2019, preventing families from meeting.
- ▪A video of the funeral went viral, highlighting the emotional impact of the border on divided families.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
When Raja Liaquat Ali Khan died of a heart attack on April 26, his divided family gathered on both banks of the 300-foot wide Kishanganga river to conduct a unique funeral that has renewed the spotlight on the closed crossing-points across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.Khan was a resident of Kupwara’s Keran village, which abuts the LoC. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) lies on the other side, where the river is known as the Neelam. A ten-minute walk connecting the two sides was closed by the Union government in 2019, meaning that Khan’s brothers and sisters, who have been living on the POK side since 1989, were forced to bid him farewell from a distance, watching the funeral from across the waters.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu.
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