J-K Police repatriates PoK national as goodwill gesture

A mentally unstable Pakistan-occupied Kashmir resident, who had inadvertently crossed over to the Indian territory, was returned to Pakistani authorities on Thursday as a goodwill gesture, police said.

"Today, Kupwara police repatriated a Pakistani national identified as Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Pajkote," a police spokesman said.

He was handed over to Pakistani authorities via Teetwal in Jammu and Kashmir's frontier district, Kupwara, he said.

The spokesperson said Ahmad was arrested near Dilar check-post in the Karnah area of Kupwara on May 18 this year when he had crossed over into this side without seeking requisite permission.

He said a case under relevant sections of the law was registered in police station Karnah and the individual was taken to a hospital for medical examination where doctors reported that he was suffering from a mental disorder.

Accordingly, the authorities in the Centre were approached to take up the matter with the authorities concerned in Pakistan so as to facilitate Ahmad's return to that country, he said.

After fulfilling legal formalities, Ahmad was handed over to the authorities from Pakistan via Teetwal as a goodwill gesture, the spokesman said.