Pakistani teens trek 40 km to Kutch to escape family opposition

In a remarkable tale of defiance and determination, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl from Pakistan crossed the international border into India’s Gujarat state, reportedly fleeing family opposition to their relationship.

The teens, both belonging to the Bhil indigenous community, said they come from a village in Islamkot taluka of Tharparkar district, Sindh Province, near the India-Pakistan border. Facing resistance from the girl’s family, they decided to elope, trekking roughly 35–40 km across the harsh terrain of the Rann of Kutch to reach Ratanpar village in Bhachau taluka.

Police apprehended the pair after locals spotted them on the outskirts of Ratanpar and alerted authorities. Kutch (East) Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar said, “Two persons from Pakistan were apprehended near Ratanpar village. They claim to be minors but have no identification documents, so verification will require medical tests.”

The Khadir police filed a formal diary entry, and the teens were subsequently moved to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kutch, where illegal immigrants are held. The incident underscores both the human dimension of cross-border migration and the extreme measures young people may take for love.