The family of a mentally challenged man who accidentally crossed the LOC from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday has appealed to authorities in Pakistan and India for his safe return.
Yasir Faiz, a resident of Tetrinote in AJK’s Poonch district, was taken to a hospital in Rawalakot on Saturday for psychiatric treatment. According to his family, the 32-year-old father panicked and fled the hospital as doctors prepared to administer the injection.
Later that night, the family learned that he had crossed an unmarked Loc along the banks of the Poonch river. The river flowing from the Tetrinote region to AJK serves as a LOC at several points.
Tetrinote is also known as one of the earlier functional crossroads used for intra-Kashmir travel and trade till 2019. Currently, this intersection is used for repatriation of careless crosses.
“Faiz believed that the doctor would harm him. He fled the hospital, boarded public transport and later reached near the LOC on a motorbike.” dawn.com By phone.
“He has been suffering from severe depression for quite some time and took this step out of ignorance,” said his father Muhammad Faiz Akbar.
He also called on Pakistani authorities to coordinate with their Indian counterparts to facilitate Faiz’s safe repatriation.
An Indian-based Kashmir-based news portal confirmed Faiz’s arrest by Indian forces in Salhotri village late Saturday night. The portal also showed still images of Faiz wearing no warm clothes except for a woolen hat, but reported that he had been handed over to the police.
When contacted, Poonch Deputy Commissioner Syed Mumtaz Kazmi said dawn.com That Faiz suffered from mental health issues and wandered across the LOC.
“There is a set procedure for the repatriation of Careless Cross and we have initiated it for his return,” he said.
Civilians crossing the LOC
Officials say AJK residents living near unmarked Locs often cross the divide unintentionally while grazing cattle, collecting fodder, or foraging for medicinal plants. I’m confused.
Unlike the militarized India-held side, many areas of AJK have civilian populations living in front of military posts, making such crossings more frequent.
Several AJK residents have crossed the LOC in recent years with varying results. Some were deported, while others faced tragic consequences.
In December 2024, Indian authorities arrested 18-year-old Saliq Khalid, a resident of Haveli district, for crossing the LoC. Khalid, who also suffered from mental health issues, was deported two days later.
In September 2023, 30-year-old Hassam Shahzad is reportedly suffering from mental illness caused by drug addiction. I crossed the loc from Tetrinote from Panic. He was deported two days later.
In June 2023, Munir Hussain, an 82-year-old resident of Batal sector who was suffering from mental health issues, accidentally crossed the LOC and was deported two days later.
Similarly, in May 2023, 25-year-old Usman Zulfikar, a mentally unstable resident of Kotli district, crossed the LOC and was deported two days later through the Tetranaut crossing.
However, not all cases in 2023 ended peacefully. Because at least eight AJK civilians were killed by Indian troops near the LOC while collecting herbs, cutting grass, or grazing livestock.
In one case, 25-year-old Taara Humgar, a resident of Nakyal Sector, was shot dead by Indian troops while grazing his cattle in May 2023. In another incident, five residents of Gurez area of Neelum Valley went missing on October 26, 2023, foraging for herbs near the LOC.
Indian media claimed that Indian troops had killed “five militants” who had infiltrated from AJK. However, no authority or evidence was provided to substantiate these claims.
In August 2023, villagers from AJK were martyred by the Indian Army while they were standing in a field in the Nakyal sector.
Meanwhile, in June that year, two villagers were martyred and another injured by Indian troops in a near-identical incident in the Tetranaut area that marked the first “deliberate” ceasefire violation in two and a half years. .
