 "Pakistan releases BSF soldier held last month, India releases Ranger detained this month")
Pakistan Rangers on Wednesday handed over Purnam Kumar Shaw, the Border Security Force (BSF) soldier held since April 23, to Indian authorities.
A BSF official said that the handover took place at 10:30 am at Joint Check Post Attari, Amritsar in accordance with established protocols.
While Pakistan released Shaw, India also released a Pakistani Ranger who had crossed over and was held near Sriganganar in Rajasthan on May 2.
Shaw had inadvertently crossed the International Border at Punjab’s Ferozepur. He was accompanying farmers near the border when he moved ahead to rest in the shade and was apprehended by the Rangers, according to PTI.
Shaw was in uniform and was carrying his service rifle at the time of his apprehension, as per the news agency.
As the apprehension came just one day after the Pahalgam attack, the situation added a layer of complexity to the India-Pakistan ties.
Shaw is a native of Harisabha area of Rishra in Hooghly, West Bengal.
After Rangers held Shaw, a flag meeting was held between BSF and Rangers’ officers to resolve the matter and secure the release. While soldiers who inadvertently cross over are usually released after such meetings, Shaw was not immediately released.
Within two weeks of Shaw’s detention, India said that a Pakistani Ranger had crossed over into India near Sriganganagar in Rajasthan and had been detained.
The Times of India reported sources as saying that the Ranger was a native of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Incidentally, Bahawalpur had the headquarters of terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed that India struck during Operation Sindoor.
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More ShortsSources further told the newspaper that Indian security forces were intensely interrogating the Ranger.
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