Body of Pakistani National Handed Over At LoC In Rare Cross-Border Humanitarian Move

The deceased, who was initially unidentified after the body was recovered on July 20 from the banks of the Kishanganga River near Government Higher Secondary School in Keran. With no claimants coming forward, the local Auqaf Committee buried the body following legal formalities. However, later in July, Pakistan’s DGMO officially informed Indian authorities that the individual was a Pakistani citizen and requested the body’s return.

Credit: File Photo/IANS

In a rare humanitarian move across the Line of Control (LoC), Indian authorities on Saturday repatriated the body of a Pakistani national to officials from Pakistan at the Teetwal Crossing Point in north Kashmir's Karnah sector. The body was handed over at 6:00 PM under strict security and full administrative oversight. 

The deceased had initially remained unidentified after being recovered on July 20 from the banks of the Kishanganga River near Government Higher Secondary School, Keran. After conducting the necessary legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the body was buried by the local Auqaf Committee, as no claimants had come forward.

Later in July, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) formally communicated that the deceased was a Pakistani citizen and requested its return. In response, the District Magistrate of Kupwara ordered the exhumation of the body under Section 196 of the BNSS to facilitate identity verification and dignified handover. 

The repatriation process was jointly supervised by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Karnah Zaffar Ahmad Lone, Tehsildar Karnah Mohammad Amin Bhat, and the Station House Officers of both Keran and Karnah police stations. Medical personnel and local magistrates were also present to ensure proper legal and humanitarian procedures were strictly followed.

The body was transported from Keran to Teetwal and respectfully handed over to Pakistani authorities at the LoC in what officials described as a rare act of cross-border compassion. 

The operation was carried out through coordinated military communication between both sides, demonstrating a shared commitment to dignity in death even amidst tense geopolitical relations.

Official statements from the Ministry of External Affairs and Pakistan’s Foreign Office are still awaited as the handover draws wider regional and diplomatic attention.