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The Logical Indian Crew

'Send Asmad Home': Detained Pak Child's Kin Requests Indian Government For His Return

Asmad Ali was chasing his pet pigeon when he mistakenly crossed LOC into the Indian side. Currently, he is in a home with juvenile offenders in Jammu and Kashmir and has not spoken to his family for three months.

A 14-year-old boy named Asmad Ali was chasing pigeons when he found himself on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC). Hailing from Tatrinote village in Pakistan, he accidentally entered the Poonch district on November 25, 2021. The Indian Army detained him, after which he was handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir police, who took the proceedings further.

Three months on, his family desperately await his return. His frantic family has made a humanitarian appeal to the Indian government, asking for his immediate repatriation across the border.

Living With Juvenile Offenders

According to The Print, the 3rd Gorkha Regiment patrolling the area found him on the Indian side and handed him over to the state police. After this, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed for violating the 'Egress and Internal Movement Control Ordinance'. However, there was no proof of the national security-related offences.

Despite the development, his detainment has raised questions. A police officer told the news publication, "There was some initial suspicion that this boy might have crossed the Line of Control earlier too, which needed to be cleared up."

Later, Asmad Ali was presented in front of the Juvenile Justice Board in Poonch. Currently, he lives with juvenile offenders in a home situated in Jammu's Ranbir Singh Pora.

Anguished Family Awaits His Return

In light of this, a Delhi-based human rights activist named Rahul Kapoor created a petition on Change.Org, asking the Indian government to release the boy. The organisation released the video of Asmad's grandparents, appealing to the authorities.

"I request the Modi government to please send Asmad back. We are extremely anguished and have not touched our food, and please send him back home," said Mohammed Aslam, the teenager's grandfather.

Asmad's maternal grandparents are his sole guardians, along with his uncle named Arbab Ali. "He was just three years old when his mother passed away, and his father remarried and lives in Lahore. His grandparents, my parents, have gone through adversities to bring him up," he said in a clip shared by Kapoor.

According to The Wire, Asmad had returned home after dropping his grandmother at a relative's home. He was busy playing with his pet pigeons when his aunt called him for lunch at around 1 pm that day. Arbab Ali recalls, "My wife called him to have lunch. He (Asmad) replied that his pigeons had flown away, so he was going to look for them and then have lunch."

The matter took a turn for the worse when he did not return. His family searched for him until the wee hours, but they were unsuccessful. It was only when a viral news clip came to their notice, showing their beloved boy in the Indian police's custody across the border.

Repatriation Efforts In Progress

It was pretty recently when Rahul Kapoor came to know about the incident. He got in touch with local journalists in Jammu and Kashmir, who connected him to Arbab Ali from Pakistan to gather more information. "After speaking to Asmad's uncle, I started a petition online called 'Send Asmad Home', where close to 8000 people have signed it," He told The Logical Indian. Among the signatories is the former chairperson of the Delhi Minority Commission, Zafar ul Islam Khan.

For the past few weeks, efforts have been in progress to reunite the child with the family in Pakistan. Kapoor has shared the petition on social media platforms as well. He wrote to PMO, who received the letter and assigned the case to Jammu and Kashmir's senior IAS officer, Manoj Dwivedi.

For the troubled family, the news clip was the last time they laid their eyes on Asmad. In the past three months, they have not been able to contact him. "I inquired about his health with the superintendent at the juvenile home. Due to it being a 'sensitive' matter, they have not allowed him to speak to his family," Kapoor continues his conversation.

After this, the human rights activist worked relentlessly to give the boy consular access. He spoke to the Pakistan High Commission to do the needful. Yesterday, the high commission's senior official contacted Kapoor, who took the proceedings forward.

As of now, it is an ongoing process. It has not been easy for children growing up near the contentious Line of Control on both ends, and however, India has a history of helping them reunite with their families across the border. Here's hoping that Asmad Ali gets to return to his loved ones soon.

Also Read: 'Day Of Shame For Pakistan': PM Imran Khan After Sri Lankan Factory Manager Lynched, Set On Fire In Sialkot

ContributorsSuggest Correction
Writer : Akanksha Saxena
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Editor : Snehadri Sarkar
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Creatives : Akanksha Saxena