Nine-year-old swept across LoC returns home, revives calls for humanitarian corridor

2 min readSrinagarMay 6, 2026 09:18 PM IST

The body of a nine-year-old boy from Kargil was handed over to Indian officials by Pakistan Wednesday along the Teetwal-Keran border in Kashmir, reviving calls for a “humanitarian coordination point” on the Kargil border.

Zulqarnain Ali from Hunderman in Kargil had slipped and fallen into the Suru River at Kargil, which flows into Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir Friday. After efforts from local leadership — including activist Sajjad Kargili — the body was returned by Pakistan and he was buried in Kargil Wednesday.

Appreciating the humanitarian gesture, Kargili said: “Humanity must always prevail over hostility,” adding that both the Governments of India and Pakistan, particularly the Foreign Ministries and military authorities, must establish a formal meeting point at the Kargil–Kharmang border. Similar incidents have occurred in the past where bodies recovered in Kharmang had to be buried there due to the absence of any return mechanism”.

The body was returned from Keran because of a lack of a meeting point for authorities on both sides in Kargil.

“For over seven decades, the people of Ladakh and Baltistan have lived with the pain of separation, with thousands of divided families across borders. It is tragic that not only the living remain separated, but even the deceased are often denied a dignified return to their loved ones. Establishing a humanitarian coordination point on the Kargil border is no longer optional — it is a moral and humanitarian necessity,” he said.

Just last year, “several such bodies had to be buried in Kharmang (Baltistan)” as a matter of compulsion since the return of their mortal remains could not be arranged between the two governments.

Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies.

Expertise
Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region’s post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics.

Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers:

Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state.

Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights.

Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. … Read More