Pakistan

Indian army hands over Pakistani boy who crossed border

The boy was given a pair of new clothes and sweets for his family before being handed over

Web Desk July 07, 2015

PHOTO: NDTV

The Indian army has handed over a Azad Jammu and Kashmir boy who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC), a defence official said on Sunday.

"Army officials in Tangdhar sector handed over 11-year-old Sameer Kayani, son of Mohammad Rafiq of Laswa Athmuqam in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, who had inadvertently crossed the LoC two days ago, to Pakistan Army officials," defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel NN Joshi said.

"The boy was handed over by the unit based at Tanghdar frontier area at Teetwal crossing point with new clothes and sweets for the family," he added, according to NDTV.

Read: Pakistan responds to India's 'unprovoked' firing at working boundary

Lieutenant Colonel Joshi said that soon after the boy was apprehended by the troops, the Indian army sent an urgent hotline message to Pakistan side informing them of the safety and well-being of Kayani. Further, Joshi said they forwarded a request for a flag meeting so the 11-year-old could be repatriated and reunited with his family at the earliest.

“The flag meeting was held at Teetwal on Saturday and Kayani was handed over to the representatives of the Pakistan Army,” Joshi said.

Read: Indian BSF resorts to unprovoked firing at LoC, receives effective response

On Sunday, Pakistani and Indian security forces exchanged fire at the working boundary near Sialkot in a latest sign of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that Indian Border Security Force (BSF) resorted to ‘unprovoked’ firing in Charwah Sector. However, there were no reports of casualties from either side.

This article originally appeared on NDTV.

COMMENTS (27)

Ram Dargad | 8 years ago | Reply Once again, ET has not published my comment which counters anti-India propaganda. @Muhammad: ‘’ Bangladesh was not a country yet ‘’ but Shaikh Mujib had won the democratic election in united Pakistan. He sought India’s help in countering the genocide by Pakistani Army on citizens of East Pakistan, which had already pushed 10 Mn refugees into India. Shaikh Mujib had polled most votes in the countrywide election & cannot be compared with Khalistanis or Kashmiri separatists who never won even a local election. Pakistan has tried its best to create trouble in Punjab & Kashmir but failed to achieve anything for itself. You seem to be very proud of your terrorist non state actors who kill innocent civilians.

java | 8 years ago | Reply @Muhammad: Wow you are delusional to epic levels! Militant in Punjab? LOL I m from Punjab ....U know we living very comfortable here ....things are more peaceful here then any corner of ur country .....what would there be a rise against ? No the point is not over ....you can't say who we help or not ....you where killing and sending "unpure" east Pakistani to our borders ...so we had every right to intervene ....if we tomorrow throw all kashmiri into your border ..if we tomorrow throw all the "Punjabi "(just an example ) in ur border , I will obviously expect a retaliation from Pakistan . That is what we did ..retaliation

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Dan | 8 years ago | Reply @Muhammad: Pakistan is strong today? You got to be kidding me. What is the meaning of the word "strong", first learn that from a proper dictionary my friend. Senior Police officers being murdered day in & day out in your country, problems in Balochistan , Targeted Killings taking place all over the country & especially in Karachi (so called financial capital), Intnl Airports being attacked by terrorists, your own navy officers are involved in the recent attack where in a PN Frigate was almost taken by terrorists, most parts of the country lives in the dark due to power outages, 150+ innocent souls being butchered in school, protecting good terrorists & the list goes on and on...Yes, i agree, Pakistan is very strong today! My friend, your country is imploding from within. First save it from within, then later talk about other external factors.

Patriotic Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply @Asif Siddiqi: Spoken like a true Indian.

ZAK | 8 years ago | Reply Good gesture.

Wahid | 8 years ago | Reply I think that it was a good act from our neighbours country which is India.but we should be careful because they r not usually so kind with us.i mean by doing this they Will also have some reasons and for that we should be careful.v should not relax that now they will do nothing because the recently the priminister of India Is totally opposes the Muslims.

Asok | 8 years ago | Reply This is not first time. From 2013: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2298467/Indian-Army-hands-Pakistani-boys-Rehmatullah-Inyatullah-captured-breaching-Line-Control.html

Karachiwala | 8 years ago | Reply Thank you India for returning an innocent boy to his family. Special thanks for sweets and cloths. Lets appreciate this act of kindness shown by Indian army, rather criticizing each other. We should learn from our past and move forward. We need peace and love, please.

Asif Siddiqi | 8 years ago | Reply @Muhammad: As a Pakistani I'm quite embarrassed by your ignorance and lack of tolerance. Stop reading from Pakistan Studies book and try to google the real history of how Bangladesh came into existence. Pakistan is now strong? Do you even know the financials of our country? Were you on honeymoon when 2k+ people died in Karachi and nothing was done about it? Or are you happy that a Metro Bus is going to turn Pakistani into a first world country? How can you be so arrogant about innocent humans slaughter by few radicalized Pakistani in Mumbai? Haven't you ever read how a Muslim is expected to behave in Islam? or are you just an ISIS style human who has no regard for his religion or country only slave to his hate. Please have some respect for the dead (regardless of their country) and have some decency to appreciate if some one has done a good deed. May Allah have mercy on you and Pakistan.

Zahid | 8 years ago | Reply Good gestures we welcome hope there will be no firing

the eddy | 8 years ago | Reply I am quite flummoxed by the mood swings of people : How they get exceited at any event with extreme emotions.

Muhammad | 8 years ago | Reply @java: @Prada Bangladesh was not a country yet and not have sovereign right to ask for your help. It took a massive training of Mukti Bahini in India and finally invasion of a part of our country surrounded by your unruly country to impose defeat on our boys who were fighting with all its supplies severely curtailed. Let's talk about present. You have too many militancies going in your country and today's Pakistan is strong. Imagine militancy in Indian Punjab rising again (which it will) and Pakistan jumping in with military support. If India was justified in 71 against all rules Pakistan will be with in its right to do the same. And do not tell us you would defeat us, you have proven many times how weakened you feel vs today's Pakistan. Remember how you amassed your army on our borders following attack on your parliament but , withdrew in shame without daring to fire a single bullet. And remember how even a bunch of non-state actors broke through you naval defences just with a makeshift type boat before wrecking a havoc in your financial capital called Mumbai. it took days before you were able to deal with this curse brought on you.

Sandip | 8 years ago | Reply Hopefully some more such gestures will help calm things down a bit on both sides. It's much easier to destroy than to rebuild.

S.R.H. Hashmih | 8 years ago | Reply A kind gesture needs to be appreciated without ifs and buts and it was indeed a good gesture by the Indian armed forces, for which they ought to be praised and thanked. It was especially kind to inform the Pakistan armed forces immediately that the boy was with them, and to call a flag meeting to hand him over. And the boy was given new clothes and sweets as well. On a lighter note, it makes a big difference from the Pakistani pigeon which was caught in India and treated with extreme suspicion and subjected to many tests. However, even that pigeon was ultimately given to a pigeon enthusiast who bought a male companion for it and the two are living happily since. I hope and pray that the two neighbours learn to live in peace, like decent people, instead of remaining permanently in a state of confrontation which is in no ones interest. Karachi

Our Future. | 8 years ago | Reply If crossing over is that simple that a kid can do it, why have borders in the first place. Pakistan and India should emulate the kid and move freely. This good earth was made for all humans every where, to live and let live freely.

java | 8 years ago | Reply @Paki: how was it a crime? the country we helped , still thanks us for it.

z | 8 years ago | Reply Thank You INDIA.

Prada | 8 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Please read Kushal's comments below yours. Indeed, India set the example by returning 94,000 of your young men who surrendered to us in 1971.

Anon | 8 years ago | Reply Many saying Indian army following Pakistan army... no need to argue... there is no measurement to calculate good deeds... both the sides has their own share of good deeds... who is following whom is not valid here... This particular case is a good act and wish many such acts will follow from both the sides in future...

Paki | 8 years ago | Reply @Kushal: Indhra Gandhi was unwilling to release, it was SZAB's smart diplomacy that she was convinced to give up on her stance. More-over, it was a crime committed by your army so you should feel ashamed before claiming.

Kushal | 8 years ago | Reply @Doctor: Not the first. In 1971 we handed over 90,000 of your boys safely to you. I heard some of them occupied high chairs in Pakistan upon returning.

Saim Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Good show of reasonable sense of responsibility...

Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply Good. More of these events are needed. Thank you for this act Indian Army!

Paki | 8 years ago | Reply Highly appreciated. Thanks. This thing should last longer for lasting peace.

Doctor | 8 years ago | Reply Wow, a first for the Indian Army after 67 years....

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply So finally the Indians have started emulating Pakistan Army's good gestures.

Liberal | 8 years ago | Reply Indian troops have started following the example set by Pakistan Army. Pakistani troops handed over India the 13-year old Indian boy and the 12-year old Indian girl, who had crossed the border in November and December 2014.

Replying to X