'Ghutarghoon Khan' pigeon found with 'threatening' message may soon be set free

CHANDIGARH: A pigeon that was detained after it was found carrying a threatening note written in Urdu to Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be soon set free as there was "no point" keeping it in custody, police said today. The grey-coloured avian, which apparently came from across the border a few days back, continues to remain in police custody in Pathankot. "The pigeon is still with us," a police official posted in Pathankot said today. "It shall be set free in the jungle area here and a decision in this regard will be taken in a day or two," he said. The official said there was "no point" in keeping the bird in custody. On October 2, the pigeon was found by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Simbal post in Bamial sector in Pathankot. A letter tied to its legs carried a message in Urdu which was translated as, "Modi, do not consider us same people as were during 1971 (Indo-Pak war). Now each and every child is ready to fight against India." Amid tensions between India and Pakistan following surgical strikes by the Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Punjab's border areas have been reporting instances of "threatening messages", purportedly from across the border, either through birds or balloons. Meanwhile, a white pigeon that was found in Hoshiarpur district last month will be sent to a veterinary university in Ludhiana for a "thorough" check-up before a decision is taken on its fate. "The pigeon will be sent to Ludhiana for its complete check-up to rule out anything suspicious," Hoshiarpur Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mukerian) Bhupinder Singh said today. The bird, which apparently came from Pakistan, was found with "some words written in Urdu" by a resident of Motla village at Mukerian in Hoshiarpur on September 22. A Pakistani mobile number and "days" in Urdu were stampedon the bird's wings. Police said that when contact was established on the phone number, a person living across the border admitted that it was his bird which had flown off. Nothing suspicious has been found so far from the bird. "After thorough check up, the bird may be sent to the zoo," the police official said. On October 1, two balloons with messages written in Urdu and addressed to Prime Minister Modi were found at Ghesal village in Dinanagar of Gurdaspur, which had witnessed a terror attack last year. The message read: "Modiji, Ayubi ki talwaren abhi hamare paas hain. Islam zindabad." Following Indian reports of a pigeon being detained after it was found carrying a warning note, Pakistan media has trolled the story by releasing 'proof' about the pigeon named 'Ghutarghoon Khan'.