NEELUM (Kashmir English): A tourist from Lahore, identified as Bilal, who had gone missing for the past two days in Neelum Valley, was found safe on Monday by locals and Pakistan Army in the forests near Arang Kel, a tourist spot in Neelum.
According to details, Bilal had arrived in the valley with a tourist group but got separated due to mental health issues.
Shockingly, the tour operator and group members allegedly abandoned him and returned without taking any responsibility, a move that has drawn widespread criticism for its negligence and inhumanity.
For two days, locals tirelessly searched the surrounding areas and eventually located Bilal in a severely weakened state, suffering from thirst and exhaustion.
Later, the Pakistan Army rescued him and shifted him to a nearby guesthouse for medical care.
Residents have called for strict action against irresponsible tour operators to prevent such incidents in the future.
Given the valley’s sensitive location near the Line of Control (LoC), such negligence could have had dangerous consequences, including the risk of mistakenly crossing the border or exposure to enemy fire, locals said.
