Elderly Couple Pleads for Son’s Return from Pakistan Jail Despite Sentence Completion

January 3, 2026

Ferozepur-For nearly 16 months, an elderly couple from Punjab’s border district of Ferozepur has been living in anguish, knocking on the doors of authorities and political representatives for the return of their son, who remains lodged in a Pakistani jail despite having completed his sentence months ago.

The family of Harpreet Singh (38), a resident of Hasteke village, alleges that he was accidentally swept into Pakistan during floods last year and detained by Pakistani agencies. Although a Pakistani court sentenced him to just one month in jail under the Pakistan Control of Entry Act, his continued incarceration has left the family devastated and desperate.

Harpreet’s father Joginder Singh said the family owns around seven acres of agricultural land in Hasteke village and cultivates another 10 acres on lease near Machhiwara, close to the India-Pakistan border. In August 2024, Harpreet went to collect green fodder from fields near the Sutlej river when sudden flooding caused by a strong current swept him across the border.

“He never intended to cross the border. The river was overflowing, and before anyone could help, he was carried away by the current,” Joginder Singh said, his voice breaking.

After Harpreet failed to return home, the family launched a frantic search and lodged a complaint with local police. Days later, they received a phone call from Pakistani authorities confirming that Harpreet had been detained by the Pakistan Rangers.

According to available information, an FIR No. 1120 was registered against Harpreet on November 1, 2024, at the Ganda Singh Wala police station under Sections 3 and 4 of the Pakistan Control of Entry Act, 1952. A court in Kasur sentenced him on November 6, 2024, to one month of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 3,000.

The family claims the fine was paid through a local advocate in Pakistan, yet Harpreet was never released.

“We fulfilled all legal requirements. Even after serving his sentence, my son is still behind bars,” Joginder Singh said, urging Indian authorities to take up the matter with Pakistan at the diplomatic level.

Harpreet’s 62-year-old mother, Harjeet Kaur, said the prolonged detention has taken a severe emotional toll on the family. “Every day feels like a punishment for us. We just want our son back alive,” she said.

Meanwhile, Harpreet’s wife Mandeep Kaur, who is raising their two minor children, appealed to the Central Government to intervene on humanitarian grounds. “My children ask every day when their father will return. We are helpless and exhausted,” she said.

The family has repeatedly approached local officials, political leaders and administrative authorities, hoping for diplomatic intervention. However, with no clear timeline for Harpreet’s release, their ordeal continues.

The case has once again highlighted the plight of civilians who accidentally cross international borders due to natural calamities, and the urgent need for humanitarian mechanisms to ensure their timely release.