Amid tension, India sends back 47 Pak students

New Delhi, May 4: With tensions between India and Pakistan escalating once again, New Delhi on Wednesday sent back 47 students, who had recently come from the neighbouring country on an exchange programme.

As the killing and mutilation of two Indian Army and Border Security Force soldiers by Pakistan Army personnel near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday further soured the relation between the two nations, New Delhi also denied visas to wrestlers from the neighbouring country, who wanted to come across to take part in a tournament.

“Terrorism and sports cannot go along and Pakistan should understand that,” said Vijay Goel, Minister of State (Independent) for Sports and Youth Affairs.

The 47 Pakistani schoolchildren, along with their teachers, had reached New Delhi from Lahore on Monday on an annual exchange programme arranged by NGO, Routes2Roots. They were expected to take part in a series of events during their stay here, including meeting their pen-friends. They were also scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra on Wednesday.

The children, in fact, arrived in New Delhi on the same day some Pakistan Army regulars crossed the LoC, entered Indian territory and killed Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of the 22 Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army and head constable Prem Sagar of the BSF’s 200th battalion. The Pakistani Army personnel also mutilated the bodies of the two Indian soldiers before returning to their camps across the LoC.

The NGO sent back the children after the ministry of external affairs advised it to do so in view of the killing of the soldiers.

“The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1,” Gopal Baglay, ministry spokesperson said, on Wednesday.

Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, stated that the schoolchildren had been sent back to Lahore “keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians”.

The Pakistan Wrestling Foundation on Tuesday alleged that the High Commission of India in Islamabad had denied visas to wrestlers of the neighbouring country who had wanted to come to New Delhi to take part in the Asian Championship 2017.

“India takes these things very seriously. We are not at loss, our decision to stop bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan will force Pakistani people to put pressure on their government to act against terrorism,” said Goel, adding, “The entire world knows Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism.” Pakistan said last month that India also denied visas to its squash players.