In what can be termed as a perfect return gift to Pakistan for returning Geeta after 15 long years, the Indian government is set to return Mohammad Ramzan, from Karachi who had sneaked into India long ago.
Ramzan, the 15-year-old Karachi boy, was separated from his mother at age of 10 when his father Mohammad took him to Bangladesh and remarried. After his step-mother started ill-treating him, he then sneaks into India in a bit to get back to his mother.
Ramzan had travelled to many states before landing in Bhopal. He was spotted at the Bhopal railway station by the government railway police (GRP) on September 22, 2013, and shifted to a shelter home run by Childline. Ramzan remained there since then.
In September this year, a CA student from Bhopal traced the boy’s family in Karachi by sharing pictures via social media.
Ramzan’s mother, Razia Begum, after learning that her son is in India, contacted Pakistan human rights activist Ansar Burney with a request for his release and return. She also uploaded a video appealing to the Indian government to send her son home.
But all efforts to send him home had failed.
According to Childline members, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also decided to reopen Ramzan’s file after the PMO write to it.
The MEA had earlier said that Ramzan’s file is a “closed file” with no documentary evidence to prove his Pakistani citizenship.
However, after all these developments, to reciprocate the goodwill gesture of Pakistan, Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has reopened the case file of Ramzan. The PMO also called up the authorities of Bhopal chapter of Childline on Monday to inform this.
“We have sent a letter to the President’s office. We are hopeful that Ramzan would be in Pakistan soon. After all, we have to thank Pakistan.”