ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday handed over to Indian officials one of their soldiers, who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of the alleged surgical strikes, as a “goodwill gesture”, but after branding him as a “deserter”.

“Pakistan has handed over an Indian soldier, Chandu Babulal Chohan, to Indian authorities this afternoon at 1430 through Wagah border,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The release was being anticipated. Indian Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre had claimed almost 10 days back that the Pakistan Army had committed to releasing Chohan.

The claim had, however, been rejected by Pakistani officials.

The decision about the impending release of the Indian soldier, according to Mr Bhamre, had been conveyed to the Indian side during a conversation between the directors general military operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.

The story, meanwhile, took a new twist when the release of the soldier finally occurred. He was declared an Indian deserter.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said Chohan “deserted his post at LoC due to his grievances of maltreatment against his commanders” and “wilfully crossed LoC on 29 September 2016 and surrendered himself to Pakistan Army”.

A controversy erupted in India earlier this month after videos surfaced on social media about its soldiers protesting over their living conditions. Chohan’s crossing has now been intriguingly linked to the resentment within Indian troops.

The ISPR said he had been convinced to return and this exercise was done “as a gesture of goodwill and in continuation of our efforts to maintain peace and tranquillity along LoC and WB”.

The FO, meanwhile, said the decision on repatriating the soldier was based on humanitarian grounds and the commitment to ensure peace and tranquillity at LoC and the Working Boundary.

Notwithstanding Indian belligerence, Pakistan believes in peaceful neighbourhood and rejects all actions aimed at undermining regional peace and security, the FO said.

The curious story about the Indian soldier had several turns.

At the time of his capture, the then military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa had initially denied that Chohan was in their custody, but a day later said the verification and authentication procedures of the Indian soldier were being carried out.

Later, a senior government official, following Mr Bhamre’s public comments, acknowledged that the detained Indian soldier had inadvertently crossed the LoC.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2017