Moga (Punjab), Sept 25: Punjab government has withdrawn all criminal cases against the eight Pakistani boys, who have been languishing in a juvenile jail at Faridkot for past few months after straying into Indian territory, to facilitate their expatriation to their home country at the earliest. The district attorneys of Faridkot, Amritsar and Gurdaspur withdrew all pending cases against the boys on Tuesday on the directive of the union home ministry, official sources said here.

Punjab Home Department would now take up the issue of their expatriation with Pakistani High Commission and after a nod from there, the boys would be taken to Wagah Border and handed over to Pakistani authorities. Deputy commissioner Faridkot Hussan Lal told reporters. The boys have been identified as Asif, Altaf Shah, Nasir Ali, Amjad Ali, Sagar, Sabbar, Babar Ali and Dinesh.

Bureau Report