3 months on, family awaits return of Punjab farmer who accidentally crossed over to Pakistan

Bathinda: Nearly three months after completing his one-month sentence in Pakistan and close to completing the internment order for three months on Dec 26, there is no hint of the deportation of Indian national Amritpal Singh from Khere Ke Uttar village in Ferozepur district of Punjab. His family back home is anxious to know about his further fate. Despite Pakistan's Punjab province giving assurances to the Lahore high court that it would put his case before the Federal Review Board, the meeting, which was scheduled for Dec 13, could not take place, says incarcerated Amritpal Singh's father, Jugraj Singh. Internment is the state of being confined as a prisoner, mainly for political or military reasons.Amritpal (23) crossed the zero-line on the India-Pakistan border near Rana Panjgrain village in Ferozepur on June 21. He, along with other farmers, used to cross the fencing gate in India manned by BSF to till his land on a daily basis. He went to the fields on June 21 afternoon too, and inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan.He was nabbed by Pakistan Rangers and handed over the police, and an FIR was registered against him at Kanganpur police station in Kasur district of Pakistan's Punjab province.The court of Chunian civil judge (Class I), Nasar Mehmood Gondal, convicted him on July 28 under Section 4 of The Pakistan (Control of Entry) Act 1952, and under Section 14 of The Foreigner Act 1946.After Amritpal completed his sentence on Sept 25, the office of the superintendent of Lahore central jail on Sept 26 approached the home department of Pakistan's Punjab province through DIG (prisons), Lahore region, for deportation to his native country. The govt issued internment orders for three months until Dec 26 and confined him in jail as an internee. It was stated that the internee would be deported to his native country upon the issuance of deportation orders by the Pakistan govt's ministry of interior.In the meantime, a petition was filed in Lahore high hourt to inform about Amritpal's situation. The trial court wrote a letter for his deportation, but that order has not been complied with. The bench of Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan on Nov 5 directed the law officer to contact the quarters concerned and submit a report on Nov 12.On Nov 12, the petition was disposed of after authorities informed that the case of the petitioner would be placed before the Federal Review Board in the Dec 13 meeting.Earlier, the BSF authorities on June 22 wrote to Guru Harsahai police station SHO to register an FIR. The authorities mentioned, "At about 12:05 pm on June 21, farmer Amritpal Singh went ahead of the fence in the area of BOP Rana through fence gate number 223/M for routine agricultural work. He was not found returned during the closing of the gate. Footprints of a person going towards the Pakistan side were found, which suggests a possible inadvertent border crossing by the farmer towards Pakistan."Father Jugraj Singh, speaking to TOI on Wednesday, said, "As my son's case could not be considered by the Federal Review Board on Dec 13, now I am waiting for the completion of internment orders, which will expire on Dec 26."