BSF hands back six to Pak within 24 hours of arrest
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 9
The Border Security Force (BSF) today handed over six Pakistan nationals to the Rangers within 24 hours of their arrest. The group had inadvertently crossed over into India from the International Border (IB) near Moran village last evening.
This is the first time in recent history that so many Pakistan nationals had strayed into the Indian territory from this part of the IB.
A BSF spokesperson, said the six youngsters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were challenged by the border guards after they crossed over into India. They were held in the buffer zone i.e. between the IB and barbed fencing, 150 yards inside the border.
Crossed over inadvertently
- Curious to see the border, the six youngsters, who worked as labourers at a border village, crossed over intoIndia inadvertently, said a BSF spokesperson
- The BSF nabbed them in the buffer zone i.e. between the IB and barbed fencing, 150 yards inside the border
- This is the first time so many Pak nationals had strayed into the Indian territory from this part of the IB
The personnel, who were authorised to shoot the intruders, chose to nab them, reflecting the humanitarian side of the professional frontier force, said the DIG-rank official. Upon investigation, the six, all between 14 and 25 years of age, were found to have crossed over inadvertently out of curiosity to see the border. Nothing incriminating was found from their possession, except some Pakistan currency.
The youngsters were identified as Raza Awan (19), Shaukat (18), Mohammad Arif (22), Mohammad Asif (25), Mohammad Asral (14) and Umar Farooq (21).
During interrogation, they identified themselves as labourers working at a primary school in Warra Mangli village, 3 km from the IB. They were unfamiliar with the topography of the area, he said. Last year too, the BSF had returned six Pakistan nationals after they inadvertently crossed over into India.
