Srinagar: Two officers of the Indian and Pakistan Army shared a rare handshake during the repatriation process of a Pakistani national captured along the Line of Control (LoC).
The photograph, highlighting a fleeting moment of military courtesy amid heightened tensions between the neighbours, was shared by the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps.
Asad Khan, a resident of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was handed over to the Pakistan Army, Indian officials said. He was treated with “dignity and compassion” during his six-day detention in India, the Indian Army noted.
Khan was apprehended on June 12 after he inadvertently crossed the LoC into Simari village in the Teetwal sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
In the photographs shared by the Army, the handover is shown at a border crossing point. An Indian Army Major is seen shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart — a rare sight against the backdrop of strained ties between the two countries, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“A Pakistani national, Asad Khan, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), who was apprehended in Simari village, Kupwara, on 12 June 2026 after crossing the Line of Control, was repatriated to Pakistan on 18 June 2026,” the Army’s Chinar Corps said in a post on X.
“During his stay in India, Asad Khan was treated with dignity and compassion, reflecting the Indian Army’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian values and conduct,” the Army said.
“His safe repatriation underscores the Indian Army’s ethos, responsibility and adherence to the highest standards of military professionalism,” it added.
Khan was captured while attempting to cross the heavily militarised LoC in the Teetwal sector.
After his capture, Chinar Corps took to social media and posted: “Based on specific intelligence input, alert #ChinarWarriors, in a joint operation with @JmuKmrPolice, apprehended a Pak National near Simri Village, Kupwara on 12 Jun 2026, who had crossed the Line of Control under suspicious circumstances.”
“Acting swiftly, the vigilant joint team of #ChinarWarriors and #JmuKmrPolice intercepted the individual and prevented any potential security breach…”
