MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 20: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on Saturday joined a resident of a border village in his appeal to the federal government for immediate measures to secure safe and early release of his son and nephew from the custody of Indian army.

“I make a passionate appeal to President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the army’s top brass to take up this matter with the Indian government at diplomatic level so that my son and nephew are released at the earliest,” said Raja Mohammad Akbar of Leepa valley’s Ghaipura village.

Earlier reports had suggested that Mr Akbar’s 13-year-old son Mohammad Waqar, a student of 9th grade, and 30-year-old nephew Abdur Rauf had strayed across the Line of Control while herding cattle on last Saturday and were arrested by Indian troops.

However, Mr Akbar, the head master of the Ghaipura government high school, told reporters at the Central Press Club on Saturday that the two were arrested by Indian soldiers several yards inside the AJK territory.

“The Indian troops ambushed from behind a water channel near the Vanjal post and picked up my son and nephew, who had just reached there with the cattle,” he said.

Five other youths, who were behind them, fled in panic and were pelted with stones by the Indians, he said.

Mr Akbar lamented that on one hand the Indian government professed commitment to regional peace but on the other its army was bent upon vitiating the atmosphere by engaging in such activities.

“Though the whole of our family has been traumatised, the condition of my wife is very bad and deteriorating,” he said.

“The Indian government should realise the human aspect of the situation and release my son and nephew at the earliest,” he said.

He had called on AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat earlier in the day.

The cabinet, in its meeting, condemned what it termed the kidnapping of peaceful and innocent residents of the AJK’s border areas and demanded that Islamabad should take up the matter at the highest level to arrest such acts on the part of Indian troops in future.

“The federal government should also take immediate measures for the safe return of the two youth abducted from Leepa valley by Indian troops,” it said.

Military sources told Dawn that there had been no response from the Indians to Pakistan army’s proposal for a flag meeting to pave way for the release of the detainees.

“They are not responding to our proposal which we made to them immediately after the incident was reported to us,” the sources said.

On Thursday, over 500 residents of Leepa valley had staged a demonstration, threatening to cross the LoC en masse if the detainees were not released in 10 days.

However, the threat was withdrawn after AJK Minister for Sports, Youth and Culture Deevan Ali Chughtai held a meeting with the protesters and assured them that he would talk to the quarters concerned.

Mr Akbar said he would march towards Islamabad and stage a hunger strike there if there was no development on the issue.