Indian family released as goodwill gesture

Neighboring country also frees five Kashmiris incarcerated in Jammu jail

LAHORE:

As a goodwill gesture, authorities in Pakistan have released an Indian family that was arrested in Lahore last year for carrying a firearm in their luggage.

Nafees Ahmed, his wife Amna Ahmed and son Kaleem Ahmed were handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah Border Crossing near Punjab provincial capital on Saturday.

These people who hail from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh had come to Pakistan last year to meet their relatives in the country. Pakistani customs officials, however, arrested the family as it was returning to India via Wagah when they found a gun in their luggage.

A trial court later convicted them and they were imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. The family was, however, released from the jail on Friday. Before returning to their homeland, the Indian citizens thanked Pakistan for their release.

Meanwhile, India has also released five Kashmiris from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) who had been stranded in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

These Kashmiris had gone to the IIOJK via the Dosti Bus Service plied between the two regions of Kashmir in 2018. The people, however, got stranded in the IIOJK due to suspension of the service in the wake of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India.

Subsequently, the countries closed their borders in view of Covid-19 pandemic and the visas granted to these people expired. Indian authorities later arrested them and sent them to central jail Jammu.