{BSF man in Pak custody} ‘Expecting positive response’: Official on Ranger’s capture
Some positive development is expected in the case of an Indian constable who has been in Pakistan custody for the past 11 days, a senior BSF officer said on Sunday.
With the Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday apprehending a Pakistan Ranger near the international border in Rajasthan, some positive development is expected in the case of an Indian constable who has been in Pakistan custody for the past 11 days, a senior BSF officer said on Sunday.
The officer, who wished not to be named, said, “So far, Pakistan has sought neither a flag meeting nor release of their man.”
BSF constable Purnam Kumar Shaw was captured by Pakistan Rangers on April 23. Hailing from Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal, Shaw, 40, who has been with the BSF for 17 years, was deployed in the 24th Battalion near the Pakistan border under Mamdot sector in Ferozepur. He was a part of a team tasked with protecting the farmers working near the border fence when he mistakenly crossed the border to take rest under a tree. He was apprehended by Pakistan Rangers shortly afterward.
“Such inadvertent crossings have occurred in the past and were usually resolved swiftly but the scenario is different this time amid tension owing to the recent terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left several tourists dead. Pakistan authorities have remained silent despite a few flag meetings so far,” the officer added.
According to the BSF officer, the other side is expected to initiate dialogue on the issue.
Shaw’s pregnant wife Rajani had on Wednesday met senior officials of the force in Ferozepur to know about the efforts being made to get him released. After the meeting, she had chosen to stay away from mediapersons.