E-Paper
BSF constable remains in Pakistan custody for 4th day in row
A flag meeting between BSF and Pakistan Rangers on Friday had ended without any breakthrough. This was the 3rd flag meeting sought by BSF since the incident.
Border Security Force (BSF) constable, Purnab Kumar Shaw, who had inadvertently crossed the international border on Wednesday, remained in Pakistan’s custody for the fourth consecutive day as the neighbouring country did not respond to India’s repeated requests for his release.
A BSF official, privy to the situation, said, “Since Wednesday afternoon, we have been looking for a positive move from Pakistan, but nothing has happened.”
A flag meeting between BSF and Pakistan Rangers on Friday had ended without any breakthrough. This was the third flag meeting sought by the BSF since the incident.
Also Read | Bengal: Family of BSF jawan captured by Pakistan hopes for his safe return soon
“Our teams assembled at the designated point with the flag raised as per established protocol, but initially, there was no response from Pakistan Rangers. Later in the afternoon, they came and questioned why the meeting was requested, despite the situation being self-evident,” said an official involved in the negotiations.
“They informed us that they were still awaiting orders from their superiors. Once again, the discussions remained inconclusive,” he added.
Also Read | No reply from Pakistan Rangers to BSF’s latest request for release of constable
Shaw, originally from Hooghly district West Bengal, had accidentally crossed into Pakistani territory while assisting farmers near the zero line on Wednesday afternoon.
“The fencing exists only on the Indian side, while the actual international boundary is marked by a small pillar — often hard to identify for new personnel,” explained another BSF officer. He noted that India regularly returns civilians and even security personnel who accidentally cross the border without hostile intent.
The incident came to public attention on Thursday amid heightened security along the Indo-Pakistan frontier and on the same day when India announced strong diplomatic measures against Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
