Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 16: Police today arrested an old couple and their daughter in Mendhar town of Poonch district, where they reached after illegally entering into India from Nepal border after flying to Kathmandu from Pakistan.
Police said the family of three members was arrested and booked under illegal crossing into India and lodged in Mendhar police station. First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against them.
They have been identified as Abdul Aziz, 90, son of Hukam Din, his 72 years old wife Rashida Begum and 26 years old daughter Hafeeza Kousar, who had done MA in Islamic Studies.
Reports said that Abdul Aziz had originally been living at village Salwa in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district but had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1947 along with his wife Rashida Begum, then a resident of village Chatral in Mendhar. Both had started living in Kotli area of PoK, where Aziz started running small business.
Hafeeza Kousar, a Post Graduate was born to them in PoK.
Other family members of Abdul Aziz including brothers and sisters continued to stay in Mendhar.
Reports said that Abdul Aziz along with his family had visited Mendhar to meet his brothers and sisters twice during past two years on valid permit through Rawlakote-Chakan-Da-Bagh cross-LoC point and stayed for about a month on both the occasions before returning to PoK.
He again wanted to visit Mendhar but couldn’t get the permit as he had already visited this side of the divided State twice in the past two years.
He told police that he took help of some agents in Pakistan, who arranged fake visa and passports for him and his wife and daughter and they flew to Kathmandu from Karachi. They then entered into India from Nepal border, boarded train and reached Jammu yesterday.
They reached Mendhar in Tata Sumo early this morning and were arrested by Mendhar police teams headed by SDPO Shahid Nayeem.
They were arrested soon after they boarded off the vehicle.
Reports said Abdul Aziz and Rashida Begum were too old to be involved in any subversive activity and they simply appeared to have taken the illegal route as they wanted to stay with their brothers and sisters during last days of their life.
Aziz is reported to have sold his house in Kotli, PoK for Rs 5 lakh to pay for tickets, passport and visa to the agents to reach Nepal and then India.
Reports said that though the arrested persons were being questioned, they were not involved in any kind of undesirable activity.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel