The Pakistani nationals were sent back within 24 hours of being nabbed. The Border Security Force Saturday handed over six Pakistani nationals, who had “inadvertently” crossed over to the Indian side from along the international border in Punjab, to the Pakistan Rangers. The Pakistani nationals were sent back within 24 hours of being nabbed.
The six youths, in the age group of 14-25 years and residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were nabbed by a BSF patrol from near the Pul Moran border post in Amritsar around 5 pm on Friday.
“During questioning, it came to notice that they had crossed over to the Indian territory inadvertently. Nothing objectionable was recovered from them,” the force said in a statement.
All six were painters by profession and had been employed to paint a school at a border village in Pakistan. They were staying in the village and entered into Indian territory while on evening walk.
The Border Security Force (BSF) said as the youths were “inadvertent border crossers”, it was decided to hand them to the Pakistani authorities on “humanitarian grounds”.
A protest was lodged with the Pakistan Rangers over the incident before the youngsters were sent back. The border force, local police and central intelligence agencies had earlier grilled the youths.
Last year also, six Pakistani nations who had inadvertently crossed the border were handed over to Pakistan Rangers by the BSF on humanitarian grounds.