Pakistan refuses to release BSF jawan despite flag meeting: Report

April 25, 2025 by News Desk

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who inadvertently crossed into Pakistani territory along the International Border (IB) in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector on Wednesday afternoon remains in the custody of Pakistan Rangers, despite a flag meeting held between the two border forces on Thursday , according to reports appearing in national and foreign media.

The jawan, identified as P K Singh of the 182 Battalion, was accompanying Indian farmers near the IB when he mistakenly stepped across the border while resting under a tree that lay beyond the border pillar.

He was in uniform and carrying his service rifle when he was spotted and detained by the Pakistan Rangers, according to senior BSF officials.

Efforts to secure Singh’s release through diplomatic and military channels have so far failed.

“These kinds of accidental crossovers happen frequently along the IB, where the boundary is not clearly marked,” a BSF official said. However, Pakistani officials reportedly declined to release the jawan during the flag meeting.

The incident occurs amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu Kashmir, on Tuesday that killed 26 tourists and injured several others. Indian investigations have pointed to Pakistani involvement in the attack, prompting New Delhi to downgrade diplomatic relations and suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.

In a retaliatory move, Islamabad on Thursday scrapped the Simla Agreement and banned Indian civilian aircraft from its airspace.

The exact location and condition of the detained jawan remain unknown.