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| PAK Army keeps a close watch on training camps in POK: surrendered ultra | | |
Srinagar, Jul 02
After spending nearly six years in different militant camps across Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), a militant today crossed over to this side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri Sector of North Kashmir and surrendered before the Army. The militant said that he had been trying to make his way back home since 2004.
Identifying himself as Showkat Ahmad Rather, son of Mohammad Sultan, a resident of Hard Shuwa village near Sopore town in north Kashmir Baramulla district, the 26 year old youth said that he managed to infiltrate to this side of the LoC with the help of a guide.
“He helped me to reach Chakoti through mountain passes,” Showkat said, adding that the guide told him how to identify an Indian army picket. “I managed to cross over because of my personal efforts. Otherwise, Pakistan army keeps a close watch on the youth in the training camps and does not allow them to go towards the line of control,” Showkat said.
When asked why he took the decision to come back to the valley, Showkat said that he missed his home very much though he had been talking to his parents on phone off late. “Also, as you know well that we had a vision (about Kashmir) but then it lost its way and we could not stand the test of the time,” Showkat said while struggling to sit comfortably on a chair in Badamibagh cantonment area in Srinagar.
Hands bruised and legs aching, Showkat even found holding a cup of tea in his hands very difficult. “I left the training camp on 28th June and walked all the way upto the LoC where I reached early this morning,” said the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant who was later spotted by the Indian Army near LoC.
“Our troopers challenged him but he raised his hands and shouted ‘do not shoot me’” said Brigadier N P S Hira of Army Uri Brigade who accompanied Showkat to Srinagar where he spoke to the media.
Showkat said that militants were made to move between training camps in sealed vehicles and so it was difficult to tell which training camp a youth was in. He said that many more youth now living in training camps around Muzaffarabad were willing to come back home.
When asked how he managed to overcome the hurdles in crossing over to this side, Showkat said that the urge to return to where he belongs was the key. “Jis tarah se yehan se wahan jane ki koshish ki, usi tarah wahan se wapis ane ki koshish karte rahe (The way we tried to sneak into that side from here, the same way we kept trying to come back),” said the youth who had been an undergraduate student at the time he took the decision to cross over with sixteen other youth of the valley. |
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