India Stops LoC 'Love Infiltration'

The Dawn

May 16, 2006

NEW DELHI, May 15: Two young Indian women were caught by the Indian Army at the Line of Control in Poonch when they tried to cross over to meet their Pakistani boyfriends, NDTV news channel said on Monday. It said Asha Patel and Ayesha Sharma were detained while attempting to cross over into Pakistan at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch.

“Both had even decided the point at the border fence where they would cross, a method normally used by militants,” the report said.

They were caught by army minutes before they were to cross the LoC. The army later handed them over to police.

One of the girls claims she has even got “married” over the Internet. “We have already married on the Internet. We just have to complete legal formalities,” said Ms Patel. She had been chatting with her boyfriend for nearly five years.

Last year, she met him at the Wagah border. She then tried to go to Pakistan but was denied a visa.

Ms Asha who is from Mumbai and Ms Ayesha from Uttaranchal got to know each other through their boyfriends.

They are free to go back home but they have said that they will continue trying to visit Pakistan.—Correspondent