MUZAFFARABAD: Indian authorities on Friday repatriated three young residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) who had been arrested by their soldiers from the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district two days ago.

Arbab Rahim, 13, his sibling Umair Rahim, 11, and fellow villager Daniyal Malick, 17, were catching fish in Rangar Nullah in Taroti village on Wednesday when around six to seven Indian soldiers descended on them from across the channel that serves as the dividing line in the area and whisked them away.

Mohammad Saad, 16, a fourth boy who was related to Daniyal, however, managed to flee from the scene and later informed an official of Abbaspur police station about what had happened earlier in the day to his colleagues.

Syed Tassawar Kazmi, assistant commissioner of Abbaspur, told Dawn by telephone that the repatriation of the boys took place at Tetrinote-Chakan da Bagh crossing point at about 4pm on Friday.

The boys who were carrying sweets and gifts given by the Indian army were examined by doctors on the AJK side before being brought to Abbaspur police station for a formal statement.

Asad Malik, brother of Daniyal, told Dawn that after capturing them the Indian army asked them too many questions about the location of the Pakistan army and alleged movement of freedom fighters in their area to which they responded that they did not have any such information.

As the minor boys got scared the [Indian] army consoled the trio and later handed them over to the occupied Kashmir’s civil administration the same evening, he said.

The civil administration looked after them and gave them gifts before repatriation, he added.

In December last year two teenage sisters from Abbaspur had also strayed into occupied Kashmir allegedly after a domestic squabble, but they were repatriated by the Indian authorities on the following day.

However, in June this year, a mentally unstable person, belonging to Haveli district, had also strayed across the LoC from Abbaspur sector but he has not yet been repatriated by the Indian authorities.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2021