Swept to Pakistan by floods 2.5 yrs ago, 2 Indians return to find kin dead or ailing; 7 repatriated after completing jail terms

ATTARI/LUDHIANA: Pakistan Saturday repatriated seven Indians on completion of their jail terms in Pakistani jails — including two who were swept across the border by a flooded Sutlej two and a half years ago.

The Indian nationals were handed over by Pakistan Rangers to their Border Security Force counterparts at the Attari border. According to sources, the Indian nationals were brought to the border checkpost by Pakistan police by afternoon but were needlessly made to wait until the flag-lowering ceremony.

Sources said the delay was deliberate, as Pakistan sought to maximise publicity in the presence of a crowd of tourists at both the Attari and Wagah borders and project goodwill around the repatriation.

Attari protocol officer, Arun Mahal, named those who were repatriated on Saturday as Harvinder Singh, Chander Singh, Vishal, Sunil, Gurmeet Singh, Joginder Singh, and Ratanpal.

Ratanpal, 26, from Sidhwan Bet area of Ludhiana, lost the parents who raised him—uncle Kartar Singh and aunt Pyaro Bai—as well as his brother, Ved Prakash, while in custody.Harvinder, 25, a native of Mehatpur area in Jalandhar, returned to find that his father had passed away early last year.

Both were arrested by Pakistani Rangers after being swept away in Sutlej river from Ferozepur area on July 26, 2023.

A few days later, Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations accused Harvinder, Ratanpal and four other detained Indians of smuggling arms, ammunition, and drugs into Pakistan. They were sentenced to jail.

After their release on Saturday, the Indian prisoners described harsh and overcrowded jail conditions in Pakistan, with limited access to basic facilities. According to sources, they told their debriefers that Pakistani jail officers tried to persuade them to act as spies after returning to India.

Harvinder lost his father early last year and his mother Surjeet Kaur has been under tremendous stress since his arrest in Pakistan. Harvinder’s uncle Harpal Singh said they had to reveal news of his father’s death around four months ago as he kept asking for him. Ratanpal, however, didn’t know he had lost both his parents and a brother till he arrived in India.

On Jan 1, India had asked Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civilian prisoners who have completed their jail terms.

According to ministry of external affairs, India has urged Pakistan to grant immediate consular access to 35 civilian prisoners and fishermen in its custody who are believed to be Indian. India shared the names and details of 391 civilian prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody who are believed to be Pakistani.