AJK resident says Indian troops seized 22 goats after crossing LoC

HAVELI KAHUTA, AJK: A resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has claimed that Indian troops have seized 22 goats after they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) into Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In a video statement, the owner said that he has lodged a formal complaint with the local authorities.

Mussami Al-F Khan, a resident of Kairni village in Haveli district, said in a complaint filed at the Kahuta Police Station on April 7 that his son, Kamal Din, was grazing livestock near the LoC on April 1 when the animals inadvertently crossed into the other side due to the proximity of the border.

He said that Indian army patrols later reached the area and took custody of 22 goats belonging to his family.

In a video statement, the complainant described the livestock as his primary source of livelihood, saying the loss had severely affected his family’s income.

“My goats are my only livelihood. I am a poor man and my household depends on them,” he said, appealing to authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan to intervene and help recover the animals or provide compensation.

The complainant said that local authorities, including the Pakistan Army, had been informed of the incident, but the goats had not yet been returned.

The LoC, which divides the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, is heavily militarised and frequently sees incidents involving civilians living in border villages, including stray crossings of livestock.

Officials in AJK did not immediately issue a comment on the incident. Indian authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Residents in border areas often rely on livestock grazing near the LoC for their livelihoods, but accidental crossings can lead to loss of animals due to strict military controls on both sides.

The complainant has urged both AJK and Pakistani authorities, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to help recover the animals or provide financial compensation.