LAHORE - An Indian woman, who met her Pakistani brother after 16 years at the Lahore Railways Station, died of cardiac arrest.
The Pakistani authorities handed over the body of Sarala Jewatram Badlani to the Indian officials at the Wahga border Tuesday evening.
Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Larkana and brother of the visiting Indian woman, said that the tragic incident occurred as his sister embraced him on her arrival at the railway station and started crying.
The joy of meeting her brother after a gap of 16 years was too much for Devi, whose passport was issued from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra, according to reports in the Indian media. She had a heart attack seconds later.
Kumar said that the visa application of his sister got succeeded in having her visa in fight attempt. After obtaining visa the old lady visited Lahore by train.
Talking to reporters, the Larkana resident demanded the government to issue visa to his family so that they could take away the body for last rites.
Pakistani officials said that the Indian authorities refused to receive the body on Tuesday evening citing incomplete documentation. The Pakistani officials were left with no other choice but to stop the ambulance at the zero-point for a considerable time to wait for the completion of documentation.
While quoting Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that visa would be issued on urgent basis if the deceased’s brother applies to visit India for the last rites. "Visas on humanitarian and medical grounds are always issued by us on a priority basis," PTI quoted an Indian official as saying.
The Home Department of the Pakistan’s Punjab province issued the NOC on emergency basis and the body was sent to her native town in India through the Wahga border.