Body of missing Indian woman found in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region

The woman's body was retrieved from the Kargil River and buried in the Kharmang district, according to Deputy Commissioner of the district, Muhammad Jaffar, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Islamabad: The body of a 28-year-old Indian woman, who had gone missing in the Kargil district of Ladakh, was found in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region on Wednesday, police said.

The woman's body was retrieved from the Kargil River and buried in the Kharmang district, according to Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district, Muhammad Jaffar, the Dawn newspaper reported. Earlier, a pamphlet featuring the image of the woman was circulated by the Kargil police station. The pamphlet was also sent to the Gilgit-Baltistan administration for the recovery of the body.

The pamphlet, which identified the woman as Belqees Banoo, stated that she was five feet tall and clad in green clothes along with a red sweater. It added that she went missing from her home in Akchamal on July 15.

Jaffar said the body could be returned to India after contact between the foreign ministries of the countries once the woman's identity was confirmed through DNA testing.

Meanwhile, Qasim, a Kharmang resident, said the funeral prayer of the woman had been offered, and the burial was performed according to Islamic rituals.

In a statement, Baltistan Awami Action Committee Chairman Najaf Ali said that due to the closure of the old Skardu-Kargil road, people in the surrounding areas of the Line of Control faced severe difficulties in such situations. He called for the re-establishment of historical routes to facilitate locals in both countries, the report said. (PTI)