WAGAH BORDER: A five-year-old Kashmiri boy was reunited with his mother at the Wagah border crossing on Saturday, months after he was taken to India in mysterious circumstances.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at the border where Pakistani High Commission officials handed over Iftikhar to his mother.
It was in March 2016 when Iftikhars father, who hailed from this part of Kashmir, took him to India after allegedly lying to the mother that he was to take him to a wedding.
The father instead took the boy to Dubai and then to held Kashmir. The boys mother subsequently filed a case in an Indian court for his custody, reported The Express Tribune.
While a verdict on the case was issued in May 2016, it took no less than eight months for the two to unite owing to the growing tensions at the border between the two neighbouring countries.
However, as soon as the case was taken up by Pakistani High Commission amid proof that Iftikhar is a Pakistani national, the verdict to return the boy to the country was issued.
Meanwhile, Pakistans High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that bringing the child back was particularly difficult given the fact that he was in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides cooperation from the Indian side, we were also offered help by some of our Kashmiri brothers.
Basit added: We hope that cases of all other Pakistanis who are in Indian jails see positive progress.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
