Hope crowds at Wagah

‘‘We were told by the Ministry of External Affairs that they will be deported tomorrow as the train that was to bring them to Lahore was delayed,’’ said one relative.

Driven by a rumour that all youths arrested for infringing the Pakistan border with Iran would be released today, several others came hoping to meet their loved ones.

One such relative was Mukhtiar Singh, father of 28-year-old Sukhdev Singh of Brass, Fatehgarh Saheb. He has had no news of his son in the past one year. ‘‘We just came to know that a prisoner in Pakistan belonging to a village in Patiala had mentioned in his letter to his family that a boy from Brass too would be freed,’’ he said. ‘‘We read in one a vernacular paper that he would be released today.’’

Sohan Singh, father of Kuldeep Singh of Bhatnura who was to be released today, said he had spent his all his savings as a bank employee to send Kuldeep to Greece at the age of 17 through an agent.

Surinder Rani from Karor waited for her son Shiv Kumar along with her teenage son. ‘‘I dont know when and where to go. I heard on TV about the release of youths and cooked my son’s favourite dishes. But now, I am told he is not coming,’’ said Surinder.

Swaran Singh, brother of Gurmeet Singh of Tiberpura, said that they had mortgaged their land to send Swaran abroad. But when they heard that he was in jail in Pakistan, they thought he would never return. Now the news of the release has renewed their hope.