Pak frees Indian soldier Congress hopeful of sealing SP deal who strayed across LoC

JAWAN FROM DHULE Pak claims it convinced him to go home after he deserted

Pakistan returned on Saturday an Indian soldier who strayed into its territory after a cross-border strike against militant hideouts last September.

Islamabad’s Inter-Services Public Relations said sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan “deserted” his post and he had to be “convinced to return to his country”.

A Pakistani statement called the decision “a gesture of goodwill and in continuation of our efforts to maintain peace and tranquility along the LoC (Line of Control) and WB (international border)”.

Officials in New Delhi insisted that he inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 29.

His grandmother died of a heart attack two days later and his family feared for his wellbeing.

The family at Borvihir in Maharashtra’s Dhule district was overjoyed with the news of his release by Pakistan.

“We are celebrating all the festivals on a single day. It is really unbelievable,” sister Roopali Patil said.

The 22-year-old soldier enlisted with 37 Rashtriya Rifles was handed to Indian authorities at the Wagah border checkpost around 2.30pm.

Brother Bhushan Chavan, who is also a soldier, thanked the army for its efforts.

“I am grateful to the villagers and everybody who prayed for not just my brother but for a soldier of this country,” he said.

Indian officials welcomed the Pakistani move, but pointed out that the neighbours had always returned soldiers and civilians who have strayed into each other’s territories along the long border.

Chavan strayed into Pakistani territory hours after India’s “surgical strikes” on militant bases across the LoC, the de facto border between the two countries, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The strikes followed a militant attack on an army base in Kashmir’s Uri in which 19 soldiers were killed.

The two incidents exacerbated the already tense situation between the neighbours, leading to skirmishes along the border in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress readied its plan B on Saturday for the Uttar Pradesh elections, as talks for an alliance with the Samajwadi Party remained stuck over the number of seats each side would contest.

The Congress’s central election committee (CEC) met and finalised the names of candidates for the first two phases of the elections on February 11 and 15.

The move follows the party’s strategy to avoid any “lastminute hurry” in case the tieup does not happen. Voting

As candidates launch their campaigns for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, organise rallies and woo voters by distributing freebies, 15 income-tax officials (ITOs) will be keeping an eye on these politicians in a first for the state. The ITOs will not only scan expenditure accounts and employ accountants to track expenses, they will also track unaccounted for money (black money) being used will be held in 140 seats in the two phases.

The Congress is miffed over the SP’s move on Friday to announce 208 candidates for the assembly elections, including for constituencies in which the national party was victorious in 2012.

The party rejected the SP’s initial offer of 80 seats, which was later topped up to at least 100. But the Congress remained stubborn on its demand for at least 120.

Differences over sharing of seats have almost derailed a proposed pre-poll alliance between the two and a smattering of smaller parties.

PTI PHOTO