Tensions with India disrupt wheat harvest for Pakistani farmers along border

Farmers along Pakistan’s eastern border with India say escalating tensions between the two countries have delayed the wheat harvest and caused mounting financial losses, as military activity and security restrictions have kept them from their fields.

The heightened alert follows a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week that killed 26 people, sparking renewed hostility between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India has blamed Pakistan for harboring militant groups — an accusation Islamabad denies — and has suspended diplomatic ties and border crossings in retaliation.

Local authorities near the Wagah border, a key crossing point between the two countries, have barred farmers from entering their fields for safety reasons, leaving acres of ripened wheat unharvested during a critical window.

“You know how much hard work a farmer puts in, watering the crops, looking after them for six months, and when the wheat is finally ready, every day’s delay means greater damage,” said Muhammad Adalat Sardar, a farmer from the border region. “Our request to both countries is simple: avoid war. It’s in the best interest of everyone.”

Muhammad Zeeshan, another local farmer, said many villagers had taken time off work to assist with harvesting, but their efforts are now going to waste. “Today, our fields are idle, and our youth, instead of working, are simply passing time playing cricket. This is a loss for everyone,” he said.

The fertile farmland along the border has long suffered during moments of geopolitical flare-up. Previous military escalations have also forced mass evacuations or destroyed standing crops, deepening the economic vulnerability of rural communities.

Last week’s attack in Kashmir — the deadliest targeting civilians in years — has rekindled decades-old animosity between India and Pakistan, who both claim the disputed region and have fought multiple wars over it since 1947.

As calls for military retaliation grow louder in New Delhi, residents on both sides of the border are left bracing for fallout — and in some cases, watching their livelihoods wither in the fields.

Tags: harvest, Pakistan, wheat, India, crops