Over a month after the Army apprehended an intruder from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while he was crossing the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, investigators say the case is far from a routine tale of infiltration. It is, instead, a story of love that compelled the 22-year-old to cross one of the world’s most heavily guarded borders to meet the woman he loved.
What initially appeared to be a case of cross-border intrusion has, over weeks of investigation, unfolded into a story where love and intrigue seemingly ran parallel along the LoC.
The man, identified as 22-year-old Zeeshan Ahmad Mir of Painkadi in Muzaffarabad, PoK, was intercepted by alert Army personnel soon after he stepped into Indian territory in the Uri sector.
While his journey ended in detention and subsequent questioning, investigators say the circumstances surrounding his crossing point to a deeply personal story.
According to officials, Zeeshan was intercepted shortly after crossing into Indian territory near Silikote, a fortified village sitting right on the LoC. During questioning at Silikote, he revealed Army that he had come to meet Iram Bano, a young woman- a distant relative- whom he was in touch with on Snapchat over the last one year. Their online friendship gradually turned into a relationship that endured despite the distance and a hostile border between them.
Iram, a resident of Thajal village- over a kilometre away from the Pakistan Army positions on the hill slopes of PoK, said they had been in constant contact through social media. Zeeshan had often spoken about visiting legally one day.
“He told me he would come on a visa. I never imagined he would take such a dangerous route,” she said.
On the morning of May 31 Zeeshan crossed the LoC, he managed to send her a message from Silikote. What followed was a scene straight out of a romantic film.
“When I received his message on the morning, I jumped out of the window and rushed towards Silikote,” Iram recalled. “By the time I reached the gate near the village, I saw him. He had already narrated everything to the Army personnel and I confirmed his story. I broke down.”
The moment was brief. Soon, her family also arrived after being informed by the authorities. It was the same day, she says, that her family learned about their relationship. The two were allowed by soldiers to be together for few minutes.
For Zeeshan, the journey had been far from easy. Wearing only slippers and carrying his mobile phone and identity card, he traversed difficult terrain. At one point, he even encountered a leopard.
“He later told me that he saw a leopard on the way. Luckily, it already had some prey in its mouth and moved away. Otherwise, anything could have happened,” Iram said.
Despite the risks, Zeeshan continued, driven by a desire to meet the woman he loved before family pressures forced him into an arranged marriage.
The PoK man remains in custody at Baramulla district jail. Several agencies have questioned both individuals and examined their digital communications. According to Iram, investigators found their story to be genuine.
“We went to meet him in Baramulla jail, but we couldn’t meet him,” she said quietly.
From Iram’s home in Uri, the mountains stretch toward the villages across the divide. On clear days, the area where Zeeshan lived can be seen from her side. She spends her days praying for his safety and hoping for a peaceful future.
Majid Jahangir
