I lied to my Pak hosts: Amarjit

Attari, April 24

Amarjit Singh (24), a member of a Sikh jatha in Pakistan for Baisakhi celebrations who had gone missing, was traced to Pakistan’s Sheikhupura and sent back home on Tuesday. Carrying a placard to express gratitude to the Pakistan authorities and a portrait of Sikh Gurus, he crossed the Attari-Wagah check post in the afternoon. 

Facing a battery of mediapersons, he was ill at ease as he tried to explain why he had overstayed in Pakistan after his visa expired on April 21, often making contradictory statements.

A resident of Niranjanpur village near Amritsar, Amarjit admitted he had lied to the family of his friend Razzaq in Sheikhupura that his visa was valid for more than a month. “I made a mistake. I should not have lied to my Pakistani hosts,” he regretted.

Hours before he crossed over to India, two video clips on Amarjit appeared on the social media. One of these showed him confessing he had deliberately gained entry into Pakistan in the garb of a pilgrim and told Razzak’s family that he had deposited his passport with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). In the clipping, he acknowledges that he came in contact with Razzak six months ago while he was in Malaysia. 

"When news about my disappearance was flashed on the TV, Razzak’s family informed the ETPB and I was taken into custody on Monday evening, " he explained. Amarjit reportedly told Pakistan officials that he had "dodged security only to meet my friend.” 

His father Rajinder Singh and mother Gyan Kaur, relieved to see their son back, said they were thankful to both the Indian and Pakistan governments for not initiating legal proceedings against him. — TNS