India, Pak forces in a fix over a 13-yr-old

A little boy’s resolve to meet his father has put both Indian and Pakistani border guards in a quandary.

Thirteen-year-old Ramesh was walking towards the International Border, along Rajasthan’s Barmer district, on Saturday morning when personnel of the Border Security Force spotted him. “The boy was walking around the zero line near border pillar number 814. We tried to stop him, but he ignored the border guards and entered our territory,” a senior BSF official said.

<b1>The boy gave his name as Ramesh and said his residence was in Khokhrapar in Pakistan’s Sindh Province. His mother had died recently and he was staying with his uncle, he told the BSF. Since his uncle did not treat him well, he had decided to go looking for his father who, according to his uncle, lived somewhere in India.

The BSF discussed the case with Pakistan Rangers, their counterparts on the other side of the border. Initially the latter agreed to take back the boy. But now, despite three rounds of talks, they have refused to accept him, BSF officials said.

“We called a flag meeting with the Pak Rangers and told them about the incident,” said SS Jodha, Deputy Inspector General of BSF Barmer sector.

First Published: Aug 09, 2007 03:05 IST