ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday took notice of the plight of a Pakistani woman who was arrested by Indian police and detained in a jail in Indian-held Kashmir.
According to reports, the Pakistani woman, identified as Rubina, a resident of Hyderabad, went to India along with her husband and her little daughter for treatment in 2012 but her husband left her in Delhi and disappeared with her travel documents.
After he detention in a jail in Indian-held Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had ordered to send her back to Pakistan immediately, The Indian authorities, however, submitted a report stating that Rubina could not be deported as the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi did not confirm her citizenship.
While taking notice of the issue, Nisar has ordered the director passports and NADRA chairman to verify the particulars of Rubina within 48 hours. He further directed that if she happened to be a Pakistani citizen, the Ministry of Interior in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs make arrangements to bring her back. The woman has been in jail along with her four-year-old daughter. Rubina went to India for asthma treatment in 2012. She was accompanied by her husband and the daughter. Rubina’s husband abandoned her and his daughter in Delhi, taking away his wife’s passport, money and visa, said the media reports.
Rubina was left with no means of identification following the incident. Locals took pity on her and gave her some money to go to Wagah border, but due to the lack of proper documents she was not allowed to enter Pakistan, the reports said. She then went to Indian-occupied Kashmir to try her luck but to no avail. Rubina was arrested by security forces on Nov 6, 2012, and sent her to a jail in Kot Bhalwal.
A local court had ordered her to return to her homeland. The Indian administration claimed that Pakistan High Commission was approached over the matter, however, her identification as a Pakistani could not be confirmed.