Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 2: In a rare display of compassion, authorities today repatriated the body of a Pakistani national to officials from Pakistan at the Teetwal crossing point in north Kashmir’s Karnah sector.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The handover, conducted at 6 pm under tight security and full administrative supervision, marked a significant humanitarian gesture across the Line of Control (LoC).
As per officials, the deceased remained unidentified after the body was recovered on July 20 this year from the banks of the Kishanganga river near Government Higher Secondary School, Keran.
With no claimants coming forward, legal formalities were completed under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the body was buried by the local Auqaf Committee.
Later in July, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) formally communicated with Indian authorities, confirming the deceased as a Pakistani citizen and requesting the return of the body.
Following the request, the District Magistrate Kupwara ordered exhumation under Section 196 of BNSS to facilitate identity verification and ensure a dignified repatriation, officials said.
The handover process was jointly supervised by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Karnah Zaffar Ahmad Lone, Tehsildar Karnah Mohammad Amin Bhat, and the Station House Officers of Keran and Karnah.
Medical Officers and Magistrates were also present to oversee and ensure compliance with legal and humanitarian protocols.
The body was transported from Keran to Teetwal, where it was respectfully handed over to Pakistani officials at the LoC.
The operation, facilitated through coordinated military communication, was described by officials as a rare but vital act of humanity amid otherwise tense bilateral relations.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
