Runaway Pakistani boys finally return home from India

The Hindu (19 April 2008)

Islamabad: Two Pakistani boys who were released by Indian authorities after they had crossed the border into Rajasthan without travel documents, were on Friday reunited with their families in the southern Sindh province.

Azhar Ali, 18, and his cousin Zohaib Ali, 10, were back with their parents at a ceremony organised by the Pakistan Rangers in Hyderabad.

The two had left their home in Tando Allahyar on April 8 after an argument with their parents, said a statement from the Ansar Burney Trust, the non-governmental organisation which mediated the release.

They had crossed the border into Rajasthan to meet relatives there, it said. Their parents learned about their misadventure and detention from a report on a TV channel earlier this week.

Following the intervention of the Ansar Burney Trust and discussions between the Pakistan Rangers and the Border Security Force, the two were released. The Indian police handed them over to the Pakistani authorities at the Khokrapar check-post last night. The Indian authorities said that nothing incriminating was found during their interrogation.

Mr. Azhar said: “We wanted to go across the border and meet our relatives in India. We crossed the border on foot at 9 p.m. on Friday and there was no one at the frontier.”

He said that while leaving home, they had taken with them Saudi Arabian currency which their families had obtained for planned trips to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj. They exchanged the Saudi currency for Indian rupees before crossing the border.
Azhar’s father Nadir Ali said: “We felt like the earth had slipped out from under our feet when we found out they were in India. We didn’t know what to do. So we contacted the Ansar Burney Trust.”

Zohaib’s father Jaffar Ali said: “We searched for them everywhere, including in Lahore and Karachi, and were surprised when we found out that they were in India.”
His mother said: “We did not expect that we would get the boys back. We feel like they have been reborn.”

Rights activist Ansar Burney, chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, thanked India for its cooperation in getting the boys released.

The duo, who apparently dug their way beneath a barbed wire fence on the border and sneaked into Barmer on Saturday, were apprehended by the BSF and handed over to the police.

Azhar’s father, Nadir Ansari, does not deny beating his son to try to boost his grades and job prospects. But he sounded more conciliatory after his release.

“I will be compassionate in trying to persuade Azhar to continue his studies,” said Mr. Ansari, who runs an electrical goods story. “If he is not willing I will take him with me to work in the shop.”

Azhar said he now definitely knew which country he preferred: “Pakistan is far better than India.” — PTI, AP

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