An Indian woman and her minor son, both victims of human trafficking, were released from a jail in Balochistan province’s Quetta after completing their sentence of slightly over a year for illegally entering Pakistan last year. They were subsequently handed over to Indian forces at the Wagah border crossing, confirmed a Pakistani official on Thursday.
Wahida Begum and her son Faiz Khan, residents of Nagaon district in Assam, were arrested last year while illegally crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan via the Chaman border. Wahida explained to Pakistani authorities that they were deceived by an Indian travel agent who promised to facilitate their journey to Canada after the demise of her husband in 2022.
“After the death of my husband in 2022, I decided to take my son to Canada. For this purpose, I sold my property and paid a hefty sum of money to an Indian agent,” Wahida said in her statement to the Pakistani police.
Their journey with the agent took them from India to Dubai, then to Afghanistan, where the agent absconded with their money and passports, leaving them stranded. In desperation to return home, Wahida and her son crossed into Pakistan where they were promptly arrested under the Foreigners Act.
A prolonged process of verifying their citizenship ensued, which took several months, before their release from Pakistani jail. During this time, their family back in India reached out to both the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad seeking assistance for their safe return.
The Indian High Commission officials reportedly advocated for their case with Pakistan’s interior ministry, leading to their eventual release on Wednesday. Alongside Wahida and Faiz, two other Indian citizens, Shabir Ahmed and Suraj Pal, were also handed over to the Border Security Force. Ahmed was released from Karachi’s Malir Jail, while Pal was freed from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after serving their respective sentences.
The repatriation of these individuals marks a significant step towards addressing the complexities of cross-border human trafficking and underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating such crimes.
Read all the World News, Business News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Business News and Opinion here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
