SIALKOT   -    Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested a mentally-challenged Pakistani citizen for entering into their territory by mistake.

According to Indian media reports, the Indian BSF arrested Pakistani citizen Muhammad Iqbal two days ago when he crossed into India illegally through Pak-India border near Rahim Yar Khan.

Iqbal was under interrogation by Indian BSF and other intelligence and security agencies in India. Indian media also revealed that BSF had also recovered from Iqbal Pakistani national identity card and Pakistani currency.

Accused Muhammad Iqbal (46) belonged to village Koreyki of tehsil Daska in Sialkot district. Village Koreyki is about 43 Km away from Sialkot city and about 16 Km away from Daska city.

Iqbal belongs to a poor labourer family. Iqbal’s father, Muhammad Nawaz, a labourer by profession at a local bricks kiln, said his son was mentally-challenged person and had been missing for the last four years. He said family searched for him a lot but in vain.

Nawaz said, “Iqbal is mentally-retarded and has been missing for the last four years”. He said his family had no clue about his whereabouts for the last four years.

Family claimed that some local people had watched news about Iqbal aired on different Indian and Pakistani TV channels and they recognized him.

“We showed a great patience over Iqbal’s prolonged disappearance, but now we are feeling impatient as we have seen him and recognized him on different Indian and Pakistani news channels. We have been praying for his safety in Indian custody as well,” said Nawaz.

Iqbal’s mother Bashiraan Bibi said, “We always cried when remembered our beloved son missing for the last four years”.

Local villagers said, “Iqbal was mentally-challenged and a harmless person”. The villagers demanded Iqbal’s early return to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. Later, the family also recognized him. Family said they did not know how their beloved son Muhammad Iqbal reached there in India by crossing the Pak-India Border near Rahim Yar Khan, as the family claimed to know about Muhammad Iqbal through TV channels as well.

In Daska-Sialkot here, the poor labourer family of mentally challenged Pakistani citizen, has urged the Prime Minister Imran Khan to make all out sincere diplomatic efforts to bring back their beloved, though mentally challenged son Muhammad Iqbal back to Pakistan from India as a goodwill gesture on humanitarian grounds.