Livestock caught in the crossfire of border tensions

Unlike humans, who make sense of their world through the demarcation of geo-political boundaries, birds with two wings or mammals with four legs experience the planet in its full, unrestricted glory. Therefore, when birds and cattle casually cross over onto neighbouring territory, livestock owners in both Pakistan and India struggle to figure out a clear means of return for the accidental visitors.

One such farmer was Malik Muhammad Nawaz, a prominent pigeon breeder from Padana, a border village in Lahore, who shared his experience with his pigeons crossing into India every now and then. "My pigeons, valued at lakhs of rupees, frequently fly to India and back. However, during adverse weather conditions, they lose their way and fail to return. To avoid this, I have marked my pigeons by attaching rings to their feet and writing my mobile number on them. In case they land on someone's property on the other side of the border, the owner will hopefully contact me and ensure their safe recovery," said Nawaz.

Similarly, Farooq Ahmed, a resident of the Bhanu Chak village, shared Nawaz's concerns for his pigeons flying across the border into India since he believed that most people were not interested in contacting the owner of the livestock. "Fortunately, in my case, my pigeons were returned home in both the cases, where after being caught by a resident in a neighbouring Indian village, the fellow contacted me through the WhatsApp number on the ring and returned the pigeons. However, such instances are rare, as it's unlikely for someone to willingly return a high-breed pigeon," opined Ahmed.

Speaking to The Express Tribune from across the border, Sardar Rajinder Singh Ruby, a resident of Attari, a border side village just a few kilometres away from the Wagah border, noted that the crossover of pigeons between India and Pakistan was a two-way phenomenon.

"Just as Pakistani pigeons fly into India; Indian pigeons also cross into Pakistan. However, Pakistani pigeons command a higher price in India. Although in some cases, Indian citizens mistakenly view Pakistani pigeons as "spy pigeons" due to the Pakistani owner's phone number written on the ring attached to their foot. This incites them to hand over the birds to the police, resulting in some embarrassing scandals for the Indian authorities," confessed Ruby.

It is important to note that Pakistan Rangers soldiers stationed at the border are vigilant and monitor the area around the clock. To prevent any potential issues, citizens are strictly prohibited from approaching the Zero Line, and cattle are also not allowed near this sensitive area. However, despite these precautions, there are instances where cattle too, in a state of panic or anger, manage to break free and uncontrollably stray across the border into the neighbouring country.

Colonel (Retd) Akbar, former Wing Commander of Pakistan Rangers Punjab, revealed to The Express Tribune that there were local-level agreements between Pakistan Rangers and India's Border Security Force (BSF) for the return of individuals or cattle that inadvertently crossed the border. "According to these agreements, efforts are made to facilitate the return of cattle through a flag meeting between local commanders on the same day. If this is not possible, the matter is escalated to the Wing Commander and Sector Commander level for discussion and resolution," maintained Akbar, while speaking to The Express Tribune.