Peace in peril
THE WEEK|October 17, 2021
Renewed infiltration bids by militants threaten the sense of calm the ceasefire agreement had achieved
TARIQ BHAT
Peace in peril

On September 27, Ali Babar Patra became the first Pakistani militant to be caught in India since both countries agreed to uphold the 2003 ceasefire agreement in February. The Indian Army caught Patra and five others sneaking across the Line of Control in the Uri sector on September 18. While four of them turned back, two—Patra and Atiq-ur-Rehman, alias Qari Anas—snuck in. After nine days, the Army traced them down to the Salamabad Nallah (rivulet) in Uri. When challenged, Anas shot a soldier; he was shot down and Patra was captured alive.

“I am 18 and a resident of Dipalpur, district Okara, Punjab, Pakistan,” Patra said in a clip the Army released three days later. “My father was Muhammad Lateef and my mother Shamima Bibi. My father died in 2014. After that, I quit school and worked in a garment factory in Sialkot. [That is] where I met Anas, who worked for the LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba). As I needed money, I went with him. He gave me ₹20,000 and said he would give me ₹30,000 more later.”

He said he had undergone weapons training with eight others at camp Khyber Delihabibullah. “On September 18, Anas and I cut the fence (anti-infiltration fence at the LoC) at night and crossed in,” he said. “Four others retreated after the Army launched an operation.”

He said the Army had treated him well. “They gave me food and tea and allowed me to offer namaz (prayer),” he said. “When I was being taken away in a vehicle, I saw a lot of rush in the markets and also heard azaan (call to prayer).” He also said he hoped to reunite with his mother, a widow, soon.

Esta historia es de la edición October 17, 2021 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 17, 2021 de THE WEEK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEKVer todo
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024