Army detains Pakistan-occupied Kashmir boy

A patrol team of the Indian Army de tained a 12-year-old boy from Pa kistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) after he crossed the Line of Control (LoC) into the Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri District on Friday evening.The boy has been identified as Ashfaq Ali Chauhan, the son of Hussain Malik, a retired Baluch Regiment soldier hailing from Dunger Pel in Bhimber district of PoK.
According to Army officials, he was spotted moving suspiciously near the LoC. On being challenged by the Army's patrol team, he immediately surrendered.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta told Mirror that the child appears to have been sent by terrorists in connivance with Pakistan Army to do a recce of the area to find possible infiltration routes.
“He has been handed over to the police for further investigations,“ he said.
This incident comes less than a week after the Pakistan Army's Border Action Team sneaked into the Indian side and mutilated bodies of two soldiers along the LoC in Poonch district.
LoC villages pray for peace
Amid mounting tension between India and Pakistan, thousands of families living close to the LoC are praying for peace. At Jhallas Salotri, the last border village in Krishna Ghati sector, the residents fear that an escalation in conflict might trigger another round of migration. The inhabitants of nearly a dozen villages close to the KG sector in Poonch are worried over the fate of LoC ceasefire.
“Whenever the existing conflict between India and Pakistan takes a turn for the worse, we land in the most precarious situation. Every time the ceasefire is suspended and firing starts between the both sides, we are forced to leave our homes, keeping our livestock behind. This time too, the situation is very tense. Villagers living near the LoC are praying for things get normal soon so that we can continue to lead a peaceful life,“ Jhallas village resident Niyaz Ahmad told Mirror.
Before the 2003 ceasefire came into effect, residents of villages located close to the LoC used to hide in bunkers whenever mortars and shells were fired at each other by the Indian and Pakistani Armies.
Striking peace through shuttle cocks
Alarmed by the rising number of protests led by students, the army recently organised a badminton tournament for schoolgirls in south Kashmir. Officials said the response was overwhelming. However, despite the efforts, clashes between students and security personnel continued on Saturday. Nearly 50 protesters sustained injuries in Handwara.