Daily Times

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan thanked adversary India after a five year old boy was reunited with his Pakistani mother at Wagah after recovering him from his father who had taken him across the border a year back.

The child Iftikhar Ahmed was handed over to his mother Rohina Kiani by border authorities near Wagah border on Saturday after a lengthy legal battle against his father Gulzar Ahmed Tantray.

The case stirred up the media and initiated discussions about the lengthy dispute over divided Kashmir, which has been the motive behind two full scale wars.

Kiani said that she was overwhelmed with joy and happiness and she was ready to forgive her husband and invited him to return to Pakistan and live with his family.

Tantray had crossed over to the Pakistani controlled side of Kashmir when the insurgency was at its pinnacle in the Indian controlled region. He later married Kiani and settled down in the area; however he wanted the family to head to his home village on the other side of the Line of Control. Kiani’s disapproval in this regard led to him fleeing with his son across the border.

Kiani successfully pursued her custody case in an Indian court via the Pakistan embassy and got a ruling in her favour which in turn got her custody of her son again.

Pakistan’s ambassador to India Abdul Basit thanked the Indian authorities for their cooperation in this humanitarian issue.