Sakhawat Sadozai
Muzaffarabad: The Indian Army on Saturday returned Yasir Fiaz, a 32-year-old Pakistani man, to authorities. The man, who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC), is mentally challenged and was handed over by India to Pakistan at the Tatrinote Crossing Point.
Indian army returns Pakistani boy
The village of Tatrinote is situated on the Line of Control between Poonch District in Jammu and Kashmir, India, and Poonch District in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
Yasir Faiz, an inhabitant of Naari, Tatrinote in the AJK state, mistakenly crossed the highly militarized LoC to the Poonch district that lies in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Because of the circumstances, Indian authorities apprehended him first, but subsequently, they decided to send him back to Pakistan.
In the dead of the night, officers from the Poonch administration in IIOJK took Yasir to the Tatrinote Crossing Point and there formally handed him over to Pakistan officials. This procedure went without a hitch as the officers from the civil administration and medical staff were on-site to facilitate the whole process.
Family Speaks of the Gratitude
The moment Yasir was handed over to the AJK administration, his family was waiting there to receive him. His father, Chaudhry Faiz Akbar, further confirmed that Yasir was unwell because of mental issues and he had gone to the LoC ignoring traffic, not knowing how he got there.
The family members showed their gratefulness to the Pakistani and Indian authorities, the sincere efforts of the local administration, the generosity of the humanitarian organizations who played a role in ensuring Yasir’s safe return, and the effective intervention of media outlets.
An Unusual Diplomatic Move
Cases of audacious border crossings along the LoC are common, but they often lead to prolonged detentions. Yasir’s quick return is a different but positive step in diplomacy, which is the perfect example proving that despite the two countries being at odds, humanitarian causes do have a chance of winning over.
Residents living near the LoC are appealed to through the authorities, who have asked them to be more careful, especially when having relatives whose health is not good, to avoid such incidents in the future.
