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Journalism of Courage
Finally, families of Lance Naik Jagsir Singh and Sapper Mohammed Arif, who have been in Pakistani custody since the Kargil war, have a reason to smile: the Pakistan Army has sent a categorical assurance that the two prisoners of war (POWs) will soon be provided consular access as a prelude to their return.
This assurance was conveyed to Lt Gen Amrik Bahia, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), when he spoke to his Pakistani counterpart on the hotline recently.
The Pakistan DGMO pointed out that the case _ the plight of the two soldiers was highlighted by The Indian Express was being handled by the Law Enforcement Agency and GHQ, Rawalpindi was working towards moving the bureaucratic red tape to provide the two men with consular access.
Meanwhile, back home, Army Headquarters made amendments to the earlier mistake of declaring the two soldiers deserters by sending a cheque of Rs 25,000 each on May 26 to Chotu Kaur, Jagsir’s mother, and Jaswinder Kaur, his wife.
According to South Block sources, the Army has started paying them a family allotment of Rs 1,500 which they are entitled to as kin of a Prisoner of War.
However, Sapper Mohammed Arif’s family will have to wait for similar relief. Simply because Arif doesn’t have much of a family left: his mother died and his wife has re-married in Bulandshahar.
The Army has started crediting Arif and Jagsir’s dues to their Individual Recurring Ledger Account which will be turned over to them once they get back.
Disturbed over the tragedy that befell the families after the two men were branded deserters, Army Chief Gen N C Vij asked officers to personally visit the families.
The officers also met the village panchayats to inform them that two men were no deserters, as proclaimed earlier, and were instead in a Pakistani jail. Village elders will be kept informed of the progress of the case. Army authorities have also instructed local army formations near the villages to keep a check on the welfare of the two families till the men return home.
