PoK man gets his last wish; buried in ancestral J

Jammu, Jan 13 (UNI) An octogenarian visitor from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was laid to rest in his ancestral village in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Eighty-year-old Ghulam Mohammed, had died at the house of his nephew in Loran area of Poonch's Mandi block yesterday.

Resident of Palandhari Muhajir Colony in PoK, Ghulam Mohammed had crossed over to this side in Poonch-Rawalakote bus service on July 16, 2007 to meet his nephew and separated family members.

As his health condition deteriorated, he applied for extension in stay and was granted the same by the state administration up to August 27, 2007, sources said.

After his condition improved, authorities tried to sent Ghulam Mohammad back, but he moved a petition in the State High Court pleading that he should be allowed to stay in J&K as there was nobody in PoK to look after him.

The High Court had granted him stay in J&K till the disposal of the writ petition.

''It was his wish to be allowed to stay here till his death. He had also expressed his wish to be buried here in his ancestral village,'' according to visitor's nephew Shah Mohammad .

The civil administration, after seeking directions from Ministry of External Affairs, allowed his burial here at Loran.

The authorities on the other side of Line of Control (LoC) were also informed about visitor's death.

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