A 22-year-old man from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) crossed one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world, driven by a relationship that began on social media.
His attempt to meet a woman in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector ended quickly, with troops intercepting him moments after he entered Indian territory.
At around 9:30 am on Sunday, troops spotted a man approaching from the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Silikote area of Uri. He was detained soon after crossing into the Indian side.
During questioning, he identified himself as Zeeshan Ahmad Mir, son of Lal Din Mir, a resident of Painkadi in Muzaffarabad, PoK. He was carrying a Pakistani identity card that confirmed his details.
Zeeshan told security personnel that he had crossed the LoC to meet his girlfriend from Uri, identified as Iram Bano, whom he had met on social media. According to officials, the two had connected online and remained in contact, which led him to take the risky step of crossing the heavily monitored border.
Officials said both Zeeshan and the woman he claimed to have come to meet are being questioned by security agencies. Authorities are also verifying his claims and examining the nature of their communication.
Security agencies are trying to establish the antecedents of the woman and are scanning digital communication between the two. Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
Exfiltration Attempt Foiled
In a separate development, troops intercepted three men from Sopore who were allegedly attempting to cross into PoK via the Hathlanga-Nambla route during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
Officials identified the trio as Adil Hussain Dar, Ishfaq Ahmad, and Jaffar Ahmad, all residents of Sopore. Dar is a suspended personnel of the Territorial Army (TA-161), officials said.
The Army, acting on surveillance inputs, apprehended them before they could reach the LoC. All three are currently being questioned to determine their motive and any possible links to others.
The Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir stretches across 740 kilometres, passing through districts including Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of Jammu.
The Army maintains strict vigil along the LoC to prevent infiltration, exfiltration, drug smuggling, and drone activity from across the border.
