2 Kashmiri youth repatriated near LoC

muzaffarabad — Pakistan on Saturday repatriated two Kashmiri youth who had separately strayed into the territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from the Line of Control (LoC) more than two years ago, officials said, reports Dawn online.

The goodwill gesture on the part of Pakistan was in sharp contrast to the Thursday’s incident when a Pakistani woman who had inadvertently crossed the Working Boundary was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near Sialkot.

Repatriation of 23-year old Bilal Ahmed and 24-year old Arfaz Yousuf was held at Kaman Bridge at the Chakothi-Uri crossing point, some 60km south of Muzaffarabad, in the presence of civilian and military officials from both sides.

Ahmed, a resident of Gurez village, and Yousuf, a resident of Kupwara in India-ocupied Kashmir had crossed the LoC “by mistake” in July 2015 and January 2014 from Nikru and Chilyana sectors, respectively, according to officials.

They were stuck up in AJK and their return became possible after completion of necessary procedural requirements in this regard, the officials said.

The officials assembled in the middle of Kaman Bridge to carry out repatriation process, including their medical examination by doctors from both sides. The whole process took more than an hour.

Only two days ago (February 23) mentally ill Rasheeda Bibi, 53, from Sialkot district’s Diawara village was killed by India’s Border Security Force after she lost her way and crossed into the Indian side of border.

Protests erupted in her village upon news that she had been shot dead by the Indian BSF personnel who mistook her for an intruder.

Indian border authorities later on Friday handed over Bibi’s body to her family.

repatriation of 23year old bilal ahmed and 24-year old arfaz yousuf was held at Kaman bridge at the Chakothi-uri crossing point in the presence of civilian and military officials from both sides Pakistan officials