CHANDIGARH:An IAS-IPS couple of Himachal Pradesh has offered to look after Khushdeep Kaur, the 12-year-old daughter of naib subedar Paramjit Singh, who was killed by the border action team of the Pakistan army in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector earlier this week.

HT FILEKullu deputy commissioner Yunus Khan and his wife and Solan SP Anjum Ara with their son; (right) Khushdeep Kaur, 12, holding the photo of her father, Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh.

The couple has contacted the martyr’s wife, Paramjit Kaur, and expressed the desire to look after Khushdeep, the younger daughter of the soldier, till she grows up and is independent. Khushdeep is a student of Class 7 at a private school in Goindwal Sahib, 12 km from Vain Poin village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. She has an elder sister, Simardeep Kaur, 15, and a twin brother, Sahildeep Singh.

“My wife and I will be visiting the soldier’s village in Punjab on Saturday. We have spoken to the family. We want to build the child’s career. This is just a small contribution that we believe everybody should make for the country and its people,” said Yunus Khan on Friday.

Born in Malerkotla, Punjab, Khan is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 2010-batch and is posted as deputy commissioner, Kullu. His wife, Anjum Ara, is an Indian Police Service officer of the 2011-batch and is posted as the superintendent of police, Solan. The couple has a four-year old son.

The gesture was received with gratitude by the naib subedar’s family. His brother, Ranjit Singh, said: “DC saab has shown a great act of humanity and our entire family welcomes this. It is great to know that a person thought about the child of the martyr and came forward for help.”

He couldn’t help draw a historical parallel. “I simply can’t express gratitude to this kindhearted couple. It reminds me of what the Muslim ruler of Malerkotla, Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan, had done for the youngest sahibzadas (sons) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji,” he said. Nawab was the only Muslim ruler who raised a voice against the execution of the Guru’s sons in 1705 after they were captured in Sirhind.

Ranjit Singh said, “I will speak about this at the bhog ceremony of my brother for all to know. I appeal to all senior officers across the country to follow the example of this couple.”