Pakistani woman’s 4-year ordeal in Indian jail ends
Zubair Qureshi
Pakistani woman SumairaRehman, who spent four years in Bangalore (India) jail has returned to Pakistan along with her four-year daughter Sana Fatima.
The Indian authorities handed over SumairaRehman and Fatima to the Pakistani authorities at Wagah border.
Pakistani High Commission officials accompanied SumairaRehman from Bangalore to Wagah border.
Now, it will take another four days for SumairaRehman to fulfill all the legal requirements and to complete immigration processes, after which she would be free to go wherever she wants to go, said Senator IrfanSiddiqui.
It is Senator IrfanSiddiqui who raised SumairaRehman’s issue in the Senate and kept a track of her whereabouts since then.
Siddiqui had to take up the issue in the Senate after the federal Interior Ministry refused to issue a certificate of her nationality on the request of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. “As far as I know nobody from Sumaira’s family was present at the Wagah border to receive her” Senator Siddiqui said.
SumairaRehman—a Pakistani national was settled in Qatar in 2017—where she married an India Mulsim man, Muhammad Shahab against the consent of her parents.
Shahab took her to India where the couple settled down. After her visa expired she was sent to jail along with her husband. Later, the Indian authorities released her husband but kept her in jail, where she gave birth to a baby girl.
In 2018 Pakistani High Commission was given consular access to SumairaRehman. The Pakistani High Commission after meeting her wrote a letter to the Interior Ministry in Islamabad to confirm the nationality of SumairaRehman. The Interior Ministry, however, ignored the letter.
Owing to the Interior Ministry’s lethargy, Sumaira spent four years in Indian jail and paid one million in Indian rupees to the Indian government as fine, which she collected from donations.
Later, the Indian authorities put her in a custodial center.
An Indian human rights (HR) lawyer SohanaBaswapatna took up her case and struggled within the Indian legal system for her release from the custodial center. After Sumaira’s story appeared in the international media, Senator Siddique raised her issue in the Senate last month on February 17 and pointed out that the Pakistani authorities appeared helpless in her case. The same evening Interior Minister, Sheikh Rashid said in a statement that the Pakistani Interior Ministry had issued a certificate of nationality to SumairaRehman.
In the meanwhile Senator Siddique was in constant touch with the Pakistani Foreign Office, Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Indian HR lawyer who were working on the case and AsmaJehangir legal Aid Center in Lahore.
“A week ago the Indian high commission in Islamabad informed Senator Siddique that Sumaira and her little daughter would be handed over to Pakistani authorities at Wagha on March 26” said Senator Siddique, “Pakistani authorities have confirmed that she has been handed over to them.”
Senator Siddiqui told the media that he had talked to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who had assured him that he would provide all assistance in order to help SumairaRehman settle down in Pakistan.
Senator Siddiqui said that the Interior Ministry officials who ignored the case of SumairaRehman should be held accountable. Senator IrfanSiddiqui, while talking to Pakistan Observer, said that he would see Sumaira to know his immediate issues and her further plans.
Senator Siddiqui said that Asma Jahangir Legal Aid cell was looking after Sumaira and so far her family members had not approached anyone here in Pakistan.
Senator IrfanSiddiqui thanked the media for supporting this noble cause.
