Indian army hands over AJK boy to Pakistan: report

Published July 7, 2015
A 11-year-old boy of Azad Jammu and Kashmir who had strayed into India-held Kashmir was repatriated by Indian army officials. — Reuters/File
A 11-year-old boy of Azad Jammu and Kashmir who had strayed into India-held Kashmir was repatriated by Indian army officials. — Reuters/File

SRINAGAR: A 11-year-old boy of Azad Jammu and Kashmir who had strayed into India-held Kashmir was repatriated by Indian army officials on Tuesday, said a report published on The Times of India.

Sameer Kayani — a resident of Laswa in a town called Athmuqam — was intercepted by Indian troops as he inadvertently crossed into India last week on Thursday, TOI quoted army officials as saying.

The report also quoted officials as saying that a hot line message was urgently sent to Pakistan after the boy was intercepted to inform the Pakistani army of Sameer's safety and well-being.

The message also requested a flag meeting to ensure Sameer's return to his family at the earliest, the report added.

"The flag meeting was held at the Teetwal Crossing Point and the boy was handed over to representatives of Pakistan Army by the unit based at Tanghdar frontier area," TOI quoted the officials as saying.

According to the TOI report, the Indian army also gave Kayani a pair of new clothes and sweets for his family across the border.

Dawn.com has reached out to the Foreign Office, and is awaiting a response on the subject.

Yesterday, Pakistani authorities had handed over two Kashmiri youths to Indian officials, a week after the teenagers strayed into AJK from across the Line of Control (LoC).

Imtiaz, 18, and Saleem, 17, were handed over to the Indians during a flag meeting between military officials of Pakistan and India at the Chiliyana-Titwal crossing point.

Imtiaz, a resident of Bandipura, had entered Neelum Valley and Saleem, who belongs to Karnah in India-held Kashmir, had arrived in Leepa Valley of AJK after inadvertently crossing the LoC.

Gift boxes, clothes, bags and cricket bats were also offered to the young men.

Also read: Two boys repatriated to India-held Kashmir

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