No clue on BSF jawan’s release from Pakistan, India sends protest note

New Delhi/Amritsar: Amid the tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan Rangers continued to keep mum about thre release of BSF jawan who was apprehended by them for mistakenly crossing the international border in Pujab. Official sources on Tuesday confirmed that the Border Security Force (BSF) has lodged a protest with Pakistan Rangers regarding the jawan’s apprehension. 

According a PTI report, the officials said that such inadvertent crossings on either side were resolved quickly earlier.

“But this time the Pakistani side has remained "non-committal" on the whereabouts and the date of return of the jawan which could be due to rising India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam attack,” they said.

Meanwhile, Shaw's pregnant wife and son reached Punjab on Monday and met senior officers of his unit who assured her that he would be back soon, they said. The jawan hails from Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

The BSF has also launched an inquiry into the incident where Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw of the 24th battalion was caught by the Rangers on April 23 after the jawan inadvertently crossed the IB along the Ferozepur district.

Officials told PTI that a protest note has been sent to Pakistan Rangers and they have remained "non-committal" on the whereabouts and the date of return of the jawan.

 About 4-5 flag meetings have taken place between the two sides but there is no final word on his return. Hence, the BSF has given a protest note to the sector commander of the Rangers.

They said that the jawan is understood to have been moved to a Rangers' base along the Lahore-Amritsar sector and may be handed over to the BSF soon. The Rangers have maintained a stoic silence and have neither issued a protest note nor communicated about his condition, they said.

Social media handles from Pakistan had issued pictures of Shaw last week where he was seen blindfolded and sitting in a vehicle and standing under a tree with his rifle, magazine with bullets, belt and other belongings kept on the ground, according to officials.

The jawan was part of the 'Kisan Guard' that was deployed for the protection of Indian farmers who till their land near the border fence and the trooper apparently "miscalculated" the alignment of the IB and stepped on the other side to rest under a nearby tree from where he was apprehended by the Rangers, officials said.

 "Efforts are on to secure his release. Possibly the Pakistani establishment is weighing its options given the current state of situation between the two countries in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terrorist attack," a senior officer said.