On Wednesday an 11-year-old boy who crossed into India from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) was handed over to the Pakistan authorities, four days after he inadvertently crossed into the Indian side in Jammu & Kashmir’s Poonch district.
On June 24 Mohammad Abdullah was apprehended by the Army in Degwar area of Poonch district and was handed over to the J&K Police on the same day. The police carried out the necessary formalities for his return.
A defence spokesperson said that Abdullah was released on humanitarian grounds, owing to his young age and to boost the confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan.
The spokesperson added,”The Indian Army stands by its ethos of being a human force and maintains sensitivity while dealing with innocent civilians.”
The boy has been presented with a set of new clothes and a box of sweets.