Pak says it captured only two Indian soldiers

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: The Pakistani army has said that it is holding only two Indian soldiers as prisoners whom it has agreed to h...

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: The Pakistani army has said that it is holding only two Indian soldiers as prisoners whom it has agreed to hand over to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) for their return home.

Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) in a statement on Sunday termed as an “attempt to twist the facts” the Indian claim that an Indian patrol party comprising six Armymen, including a Captain, was missing in Shyok-Turtuk sector near the Siachen glacier.

Referring to Indian Army Chief General V P Malik’s remarks that he was not aware of the number of Indian soldiers taken prisoners by Pakistan, the Pakistani statement said the Indian Army “continues to deceive the world about their offfensive designs through such vile propaganda.”

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Islamabad had announced the capture of two Indian soldiers — Lance Naik Ram Singh and Sepoy Bajinder Singh — on August 31 and the very next day declared its intention to release them through the Red Cross.

But their release has been delayed because ofofficial formalities as the two have to be issued fresh passports by the Indian High Commission here while the Pakistani authorities have to give them exit papers.

India had earlier announced that its director general of military operations had informed his Pakistani counterpart on August 31 about the missing Indian patrol party and asked Islamabad to return them “in case they have inadvertently strayed across to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir territory.” Meanwhile, Indian military authorities are in touch with their Pakistani counterparts to expedite the return of two Indian soldiers.

Despite Pakistan’s claims of having no knowledge about the remaining four, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen N C Vij has also enquired from the Pakistani DGMO about their whereabouts.

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The issue is being handled at the military-to-military level, an official spokesman told reporters here on Monday.

Pakistani DGMO Maj Gen Tauqir Zia promised his Indian counterpart to expedite return of twosoldiers of the patrol team belonging to 3 Rajput Regiment who were captured by Pakistan.

New Delhi has reservations over Pakistan’s bid to involve the ICRC in the handing over of the two Indian soldiers. The spokesman pointed out that it was the Indian DGMO which informed its Pakistani counterpart about the missing patrol. “All that has to be done is for the Pakistani military authorities to hand them over to the Indian authorities at a pre-determined point”.