rediff.com: Hundreds flee to Pakistan: Reuters

Nearly 300 Muslims fled from the Indian side of disputed Kashmir into Pakistan last week, alleging harassment by Indian troops.

Pakistani officials said 284 men, women and children comprising 51 families had crossed the disputed border since last Wednesday.

"We sneaked out at night," Mushtaq Wasim, a farmer of Turkundi village in Indian-ruled Kashmir, told reporters in Nakial village in the Pakistani side of the region, about 60 miles east of the capital Islamabad.

Pakistani military officials said it was the single largest influx of refugees since early 1998 when 150 people arrived.

"The influx of refugees you see started from Indian-held Kashmir to our area on June 21 and continued unabated till the morning of June 25," said Colonel Rizwan Ali Khan, commanding officer of Pakistani troops in Nakial sector.

"These innocent refugees are victims of high-handedness and atrocities of the Indian army. They have been harassed, beaten up and inhuman treatment meted out to them is regrettable," Khan said.

Wasim accused Indian troops of asking the villagers to carry out "sabotage" in Pakistan or else suffer consequences.

"They (Indians) said go across and (detonate) bombs in Pakistan. They mined our fields and blamed us for aiding Mujahideen (holy warriors)," said Wasim, adding that he had been beaten for three days.

India accuses Pakistan of sending armed Muslim militants through the United Nations-monitored 450-mile Line of Control dividing mountainous Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan denies the charge, saying it only provides moral and political support to what it calls "freedom fighters".

Villagers told reporters that they were accused by Indian troops of giving shelter, food and help to the militants.

Nazir Begum, 50, said almost all men in her village were beaten up and threatened by Indian troops, forcing them to leave Kashmir.

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