Wahida Begum, a native of Assam, and her 11-year-old son are poised to return to India after enduring a year and a half of detention in Pakistan. The handover is scheduled to take place on May 29 at the Wagah-Attari border, marking the culmination of a protracted legal and diplomatic ordeal.
Originally from Nagaon in Assam, Wahida Begum and her son found themselves incarcerated in Quetta Jail since November 2022 under mysterious circumstances. Their arrival in Quetta, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, without valid passports and visas, has remained shrouded in mystery.
The news of their detention initially reached their family in Assam through a phone call, followed by a legal notice from a Pakistani court highlighting their lack of proper travel documents.
Their release, after months of advocacy and diplomatic negotiations, has been facilitated by Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, with significant credit owed to the persistent efforts of Santosh Kumar Suman.
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Facing jurisdictional challenges, Wahida’s family initially sought help from the Delhi High Court but eventually turned to the Gauhati High Court for assistance. The Supreme Court of India stepped in, recommending engagement with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs, paving the way for diplomatic negotiations that secured their release.
The repatriation on May 29 will also see three other Indian prisoners returning home at the Wagah-Attari border. Among them are Suraj Pal and Ramesh, detained in Lahore Jail, and Shabir Ahmed Dars, held in Malir Jail, Karachi.
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