Army hands over 13-year-old LoC crosser to India

Pakistan Army on Tuesday evening handed over a Kashmiri boy to Indian authorities after he inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC).

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 13-year-old Manzar Hussain inadvertently crossed the LoC in the Asal Kass Nullah of Khui Ratta sector.

A resident of Jhanagar village in Indian-administered Kashmir, Hussain was handed over to Indian authorities at Chakoti-Uri crossing point by Pakistani military officials.

According to a military source, the return of Hussain is in line with Pakistan’s policy to maintain the tenets of the ceasefire understanding of 2003 and in spirit of mutually agreed decision during DGMO-level talks held at Wagha border on 24 December, 2013 regarding early return of inadvertent line crossers.

However, the source added, Indian has rarely, maintained the sanctity of LoC nor acted upon the mutually agreed decision of DGMOs in December 2013, while citing numerous incidents of “kill or capture” strategy being employed by the Indian Army.

On June 14, 2014, India apprehended a 60-year-old civilian Chun Hussain in Jandrot sector while he was cutting grass near the LoC. The source revealed that Hussain has not been returned to date.

Thirty-seven-year-old Kala Khan, who was cutting grass near the LoC in Mendhar sector, also suffered a similar fate when he was picked up by Indian troops on August 6 this year. Later, Khan was killed under suspicious circumstances while in Indian custody. His body was returned to Pakistan on August 9, 2014.

On November 13, the Indian Army convicted seven soldiers, including two officers, and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the staged killing of three civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in 2010.

“The three young boys; Shahzad Ahmed Khan, Riyaz Ahmed Lone and Muhammad Shafi Lone were lured to the border area by the Indian Army on the pretext of giving them jobs,” said the military source, adding that the boys were later killed on the false pretext of being terrorists.

At the time of incident, Indian military authorities had made similar assertions to Pakistani military authorities, claiming the young boys were terrorists who had infiltrated the Indian side.

On 28 October this year, India killed a 70-year-old Muhammad Din in the Charikot sector. Muhammad Din was grazing goats near LoC.

A day later, on October 29, BSF had shot dead another Pakistani farmer, Tauqeer, who inadvertently crossed over the Zero Line in Shakargarh sector.

By contrast, on August 9 this year, BSF soldier Satyasheel Yadav was handed over to Indian authorities 48 hours after he had inadvertently crossed over into Pakistani territory near Bajwat-Sialkot sector.