Two minor girls hailing from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, who had inadvertently crossed LoC and sneaked inside the Indian territory on Sunday,were repatriated at Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch on Monday.
According to a Jammu based Defence spokesman Lt-Col Devender Anand, “Two girls from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Laiba Zabair aged 17 yrs and Sana Zabair aged 13 yrs of village Abbasspur, Tehsil Forward Kahuta who had inadvertently crossed into Indian side in Poonch in the morning hours of 06 Dec 20 have been repatriated from Chakan Da Bagh crossing point on Monday”. Before returning home Laiba Zubair in a video message said, “after Indian army jawans spotted them crossing the LoC they escorted them to safety and treated them well. They offered us food, warm clothes and comfortably accommodated us. We are thankful to them and appreciate their conduct”. The custody of both the minor girls was handed over to Jammu and Kashmir police in Poonch. During preliminary inquiry the minor girls had revealed they were in a group of eight girls and lost their way after they took a break.
According to official sources, “Both the girls belong to a poor family and have been staying in Abbaspur town for the past 10 years. Her grandfather namely Abdul Halaq was originally a resident of Srinagar and had exfiltrated in late 1980s. Laiba Zubair claimed, “her mother and elder brother identified as Hamza were forcing her to marry another local boy, Babar, against her wishes. Babar was receiving training before getting recruited in the Pak army. Babar's family had given an assurance to Hamza that he too would be inducted in the army only after his sister would marry Babar. However, Laiba wanted to marry anotyer locsl boy identified Tariq r/o Peshawar. According to Laiba Tariq is currently serving in te Pak Army and presently deployed at a forward post in Kahuta. Laiba also claimed she along with a group of her close friends had decided to run away from their native village and resettle in Tattapani to escape exploitation. Official sources said, “ On 05 Dec 20 at around 6.30 p.m, the two girls along with 06 other girls left their house (as all of them were tortured by their parents and forced to marry against their choice) and decided to go to Tattapani via Ranger Nala.
While trekking their way, the two girls felt tired around 11.30 p.m and wanted to rest for a while. All the other girls proceeded towards Tattapani. Around 4.00 am when these two minor girls woke up and started moving further they lost thdir way before getting spotted near the LoC by the Indian soldiers.
During interrogations two girls also claimed to have revealed they had visited India in 2018 alongwith their parents on a valid visa.
