Poonch girl sees love beyond border

A 22-year-old girl was detained while trying to cross the line of control (LoC) to meet her boyfriend in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The police, while confirming that the girl was caught near the LoC in Mendhar area of Poonch district, refused to accept that she was trying to cross into PoK.

The incident occurred on Monday when army troops spotted a girl near the LoC fence near Phagwari Gali. She was immediately taken into custody and handed over to the police. The police later questioned her briefly before handing her over to her parents.
Sources said the girl was set to get married in a couple of days but was not happy with the marriage. On Monday, she fled her home and reached the LoC where she was caught by the army troops.

Sources said the girl, through Facebook, had reportedly become friends with a boy living in PoK. This later developed into a love affair. To escape getting married against her wishes, she tried to make a vain attempt to cross the LoC.

However, the police have not revealed further details about her motives. “It (crossing LoC) is a rumour, nothing else,” said Maroof Ahmad, SHO Mendhar. Police sources said the girl hails from a respected family in the area and so, they do not want to tarnish the family’s image.