Pak juveniles’ wait return home gets longer
Despite being acquitted by the juvenile justice board, the boys still wait to return home. Two weeks ago, the ministry of external affairs had granted approval for their release, and the duo was finally released from the Faridkot juvenile home on Thursday morning
Faridkot: Two Pakistani juveniles who had ‘accidentally’ crossed the border were denied passage as the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi failed to provide their travel documents.
Despite being acquitted by the juvenile justice board, the boys still wait to return home. Two weeks ago, the ministry of external affairs had granted approval for their release, and the duo was finally released from the Faridkot juvenile home on Thursday morning.
Ajitpal Singh, secretary, district legal services authority, took them to the Attari border from where they were sent back as the Pakistani authorities failed to issue their travel documents.
Raj Kumar, superintendent of Faridkot observation home, said, “Pakistan high commission in Delhi did not provide their documents. Now, we are waiting for the documents and it will likely take two or three more days for the repatriation. In the meantime, the juveniles will stay at the observation home.”
According to information, the Tarn Taran police had arrested the two juveniles on September 1, 2022, near the Indo-Pak border. The duo, belonging to Lahore, was booked under Section 3 of the Passport Act, 1920, and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, for allegedly crossing the International Border and confined in the juvenile observation home since then.
In April 2023, the juvenile justice board acquitted them ruling that there was no fencing at the border, thus increasing the chances of someone crossing inadvertently.
