AI Generated Summary
- For more than a year now, an elderly farming couple from Ferozepur has lived in a state of quiet despair, clinging to hope as they appeal to authorities for the return of their son, who they say has been detained in Pakistan long after completing his sentence.
- According to documents shared by the family, an FIR was registered against Harpreet on November 1, 2024, at a police station in Pakistan under provisions of the Pakistan Control of Entry Act, 1952.
- The couple’s ordeal began in August 2024, when their 38-year-old son, Harpreet Singh, a resident of Hasteke village, failed to return home after going to collect green fodder from agricultural fields near the Sutlej river, close to the India–Pakistan border.
For more than a year now, an elderly farming couple from Ferozepur has lived in a state of quiet despair, clinging to hope as they appeal to authorities for the return of their son, who they say has been detained in Pakistan long after completing his sentence.
The couple’s ordeal began in August 2024, when their 38-year-old son, Harpreet Singh, a resident of Hasteke village, failed to return home after going to collect green fodder from agricultural fields near the Sutlej river, close to the India–Pakistan border. According to his family, a sudden surge in the river’s current swept him across the border, where he was apprehended by Pakistani Rangers.
Harpreet’s father, Joginder Singh, recalls the days of frantic searching that followed. A police complaint was filed and inquiries were made at every possible level. Weeks later, the family received confirmation that Harpreet was alive but in Pakistani custody. “He was helping me with farming. That day, he had simply gone to the fields as usual,” Joginder said. “We never imagined it would turn into this nightmare.”
The family owns about seven acres of farmland in Hasteke village and cultivates additional leased land near Machhiwara, just a few kilometres from the border. Harpreet played a key role in managing the agricultural work.
According to documents shared by the family, an FIR was registered against Harpreet on November 1, 2024, at a police station in Pakistan under provisions of the Pakistan Control of Entry Act, 1952. A local court in Kasur subsequently sentenced him to one month of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3,000. The family claims the fine was paid through a lawyer soon after the order.
Despite this, they allege that Harpreet continues to remain behind bars months after his sentence ended.
The prolonged uncertainty has taken a heavy emotional toll on the household. Harpreet’s mother, Harjeet Kaur, says the family has been pushed to the brink by the silence surrounding his fate. “Every day feels longer than the last. We only want our son back,” she said.
At home, Harpreet’s wife, Mandeep Kaur, is raising their two children — a 13-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter — who keep asking when their father will return. “He has done nothing wrong,” she said. “The court there has already passed its order. We don’t understand why he is still not home.”
The family says it has repeatedly approached local officials and has now appealed to the Central Government to take up the matter through diplomatic channels. They are seeking urgent intervention to secure Harpreet Singh’s release and reunite him with his family.
As days turn into months, the couple’s wait continues — marked by unanswered questions, fading strength, and a hope that refuses to die.
