Relatives of the Indian prisoners of war missing since 1971 holding their older pictures in Amritsar on Monday.

Kin of 1971 PoWs to hold candle march on June 17

THEY ALSO PLAN TO BLOCK THE WAGAH BORDER ON JULY 23 TO DEMAND RETURN OF THOSE LODGED AT LAHORE CENTRAL JAIL

AMRITSAR: With a hope to bring back their loved ones captivated in Lahore central jail back, the kin of 1971 war prisoners will be holding a candle march on June 17 here. They are also likely to block the Attari-Wagah border on July 23.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the United Ex-servicemen Front here on Monday for the release of the prisoners of the war (PoW) languishing in Pakistan jails, the kin of the prisoners addressed their concerns and expressed their displeasure over the sequence of events.

Baljinder Kaur, whose father Sepoy Balwinder Singh of the 10 Sikh Regiment had gone missing in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, said, “This is not the right way. We have written various letters, but we did not receive a satisfactory answer.”

The front had written to defence minister Manohar Parrikar, seeking release of Balwinder, who according to Surjeet, one of the released PoW is lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

Besides Baljinder, relatives of other PoW Havildar Dharampal Singh of the ‘4 Sikh Regiment’ from Bathinda district and Nayak Bir Singh from the 15 Sikh Regiment from a village in Mansa, along with Seepoy Jograj Singh from Bathinda were present.

Paramjit Kaur, daughter Jograj Singh said, “We came to known about him in 2012 from Surjeet Singh. Since then, I am fighting the battle to get my father back.

I have a hope and would keep putting efforts till he is back.” Chairman of the front Captain CS Sidhu (retd) said: “The government should step and speed up efforts to ensure release of prisoners of war.

There is a need to go international court of justice. I will take this matter to Supreme Court. But we are blocking the Wagah border if we don’t get any response from the central government.”