MUZAFFARABAD: The family of a man who inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC) from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday appealed to authorities in Pakistan and India for his safe return, saying that the person was mentally unstable.

Yasir Faiz, 32, a resident of Tetrinote in Hajira subdivision of Poonch, was taken to a hospital in Rawalakot on Saturday for psychiatric treatment. According to his family, as the doctor prepared to administer an injectable medication, the father of three panicked and fled the hospital. Later that evening, the family learned that he had crossed the unmarked LoC along the banks of the River Poonch.

The river that flows into AJK territory from the Tetrinote area serves as the LoC at several points. Tetrinote is also known as one of the former functional crossing points used for intra-Kashmir travel and trade until 2019. Currently, this crossing point isused for the repatriation of inadvertent crossers.

`Faiz believed the doctor was going to harm him. He fled the hospital, boarded public transport to Hajira, and later hired a motorcycle ride to reach the vicinity of the LoC,` his relative, Chaudhry Waheed, told Dawn by phone.

`He has been living with severe depression for quite some time and took this step out of ignorance. We urge the Indian authorities to ensure no harm comes to him,` said his father Muhammad Faiz Akbar. He also called on Pakistani authorities to coordinate with their Indian counterparts to facilitate Faiz`s safe repatriation.

A news portal based in the held Kashmir confirmed the arrest of Mr Faiz by the Indian army from Salhotri village on Saturday night. The portal showed a picture of Mr Faiz wearing no warm clothing except a warm cap.

When contacted, Poonch Deputy Commissioner Syed Mumtaz Kazmi confirmed that Mr Faiz had strayed across the LoC. `There is a set procedure for the repatriation of inadvertent crossers and we have initiated it for his return,` he said.

Civilians crossing the LoC Officials say residents of AJK living near the unmarked LoC often stray across thedivide while herding cattle, collecting fodder, or foraging for medicinal plants. In recent years, several AJK residents crossed the LoC, with varying outcomes. Some were repatriated, while others faced consequences.

In December 2024, Indian authoritiesarrested 18-year-old Saliq Khalid, a resident of Haveli district, for crossing into their side of the LoC. Mr Khalid, who also suffered from a mental illness, was repatriated after two days.

In September 2023, 30-year-old Hassam Shahzad, reportedly living with a mental illness, crossed the LoC in Tetrinote. He was repatriated after two days. In June 2023, Munir Hussain, an 82-year-old resident of Batal sector, crossed the LoC and was repatriated after two days. He also had a mental illness.

Similarly, in May 2023, 25-year-old Usman Zulfikar, a resident of Kotli district with mental health problems, crossed the LoC and was repatriated via the Tetrinote crossing point after two days.

However, not all cases in 2023 ended peacefully.

At least eight AJK civilians were killed by Indian forces near the LOC while collecting herbs, cutting grass, or herding livestock.

In one case, 25-year-old Taaraf Mughal, a resident of the Nakyal sector, was shot dead by Indian troops in May 2023 while grazing cattle. In another incident, five residents of Neelum Valley`s Gurez area went missing on October 26, 2023, while foraging for herbsneartheLoC.

Indian media claimed the Indian army had killed `five militants` who had infil-trated from AJK. However, no bodies or evidence were provided to substantiate these claims.

In August 2023, a villager was lcilled by the Indian army when he was standing in his field in the Nakyal sector. In June 2023, two villagers were killed and their companion was injured by the Indian troops in Tetrinote.

Some inadvertent crossers however remain unaccounted for.

Teenagers Siyam Maqsood of Chaatra Abbaspur and Asmaad Ali of Tetrinote are among them. In August 2021, 15-year-old Maqsood, over a trivial issue, left home and crossed the LoC.

His mother, Amna Bibi, who spoke to Dawn on Sunday from Abbaspur, said the family was clueless about the location of the teenager. Similarly, in November 2021, 14-year-old Asmaad crossed the LOC while chasing his pet pigeon. Despite a juvenile justice board in occupied Kashmir ordering his release in August 2022, he has not been repatriated.

Afzal Kiani, a lawyer in Abbaspur, said he had long been advocating for the repatriation of these two boys. `Such cases highlight the need for greater coordination between Pakistani and Indian authorities to ensure the safety and swift repatriation of those who inadvertently cross the divide, he added.