Ex-servicemen bat for PoWs

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 26

Expressing solidarity with the prisoners of war (PoWs) languishing in Pakistan jails, the United Ex-servicemen Front today announced to stage a protest rally at the Attari-Wagah border in July if the Centre failed to initiate steps to get them released.

Having traced three such cases of the 1971 war, the front’s in-charge, Capt CS Sidhu (retd), said they would not refrain from disrupting the operations of the Samjhauta Express and the Indo-Pak Dosti bus if the government did not act.

The front said the three PoWs had been identified as Sepoy Balwinder Singh of the 10th Sikh Regiment, Sepoy Dharam Pal Singh Dhurkot of the 4th Sikh Regiment and Sepoy Bir Singh of the 15th Punjab Regiment.

Baljinder Kaur, daughter of Sepoy Balwinder Singh, hailing from Chabba Kalan Havelian village in Tarn Taran, said she was born after her father’s disappearance. She said Surjit Singh, who had been released from the Kot Lakhpat jail in 2012, had claimed that her father was alive.

“I have seen my father only in pictures. He has been missing since December 16, 1971. I urge the governments of India and Pakistan to reunite us with him,” she said.

Arshinder Pal Singh, son of Dharam Pal Singh of Lehra Dhurkot (Bathinda), said, “Satish Kumar of Ferozepur, who was released in 1986 from a Pakistan jail, told us that my father was lodged in the Kot Lakhpat jail since 1971. When he told us about a folk song my father used to sing, we were sure about him,” he said.

Captain Sidhu said he had written a letter to the Defence Minister to intervene and take up the matter with his Pakistani counterpart to facilitate the PoWs’ release.

“Both India and Pakistan have war prisoners, but no side is ready to admit it. We want that Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails be released and vice-versa,” he said.