LAHORE: Indian forces shot dead an unidentified man who allegedly strayed across the border on the eve of Independence Day.

Sources said the incident occurred near the border village of Hadyara, on the outskirts of Lahore. India’s Border Security Force (BSF) claimed that the man was trying to infiltrate into India before he was shot and killed, and tried to turn over the body to Pakistani authorities.

However, Pakistan Rangers have refused to receive the body before a thorough investigation into the incident to establish the man’s identity, as per the Standard Operating Procedures devised by the two sides for the international border.

According to the SOPs, border forces of both sides are supposed to be on the lookout for locals who inadvertently cross the border, and are supposed to return such individuals to the opposite side after satisfying themselves that the crossing was made inadvertently.

There have been several cases in the past where Pakistani authorities have returned Indian citizens who strayed across the international boundary, and vice versa.

But in the present case, Indian forces seemed to show little restraint before gunning down the man who allegedly crossed over into their territory.

Sources said that BSF claimed they had first tried to alert the man, and then opened fire when he ignored their warnings, killing him on the spot.

Discussions between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers on the matter continued until late on Tuesday night, sources said. However, there was no official word from Pakistani authorities.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2024