NEW DELHI, Apr 24: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, who inadvertently crossed over to the other side in the Punjab border, has been captured by the Pakistani Rangers.
Officials said on Thursday that talks were on between the two forces to secure his release. Constable P.K. Singh of the 182nd battalion was apprehended by the Pakistan Rangers across the Ferozepur border on Wednesday, they said.
The jawan was in uniform and carried his service rifle. He was accompanying farmers when he moved ahead to rest in shade and was apprehended by the Rangers. A flag meeting is underway between the two forces to secure the release of the BSF jawan, the officials said.
The officials said the jawan crossed over to the other side accidentally due to dense fog and resulting “extremely poor visibility” on Wednesday morning and was apprehended by the Pakistan Rangers. “The BSF and Rangers are in touch and an update on the release is awaited,” a senior BSF officer said.
They said such incidents were not uncommon and have happened in the past between the two sides. This is the second such incident in the Abohar sector of Punjab after a jawan crossed over to the other side while undertaking zero line checking along the India-Pakistan International Border (IB) last week on December 1. The jawan was handed back by the Pakistan Rangers to the BSF the same day, after a flag meeting.
But the latest incident comes against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack after which the relations between the two countries have deteriorated with India on Wednesday taking a slew of measures against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism and Pakistan reciprocating on Thursday.
(Manas Dasgupta)
