Hyderabad: Mohammadi Begum returns from Pakistan after 21 years

Hyderabad: Thanks to the intervention of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, a Hyderabadi woman Mohammadi Begum (45) who was in Pakistan for 21 years returned Hyderabad safely on Wednesday night. Her father Mohammed Akbar and mother Hajera Begum residents of Bandlaguda and MBT leader Amjadullah Khan received her at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Mohammed Begum’s meeting with her parents was quite emotional.

According to Amjadullah Khan 21 years ago Mohammadi Begum got married to an Omani citizen Mohammed Younus over the phone. After the marriage, Mohammed Begum went to Oman. On reaching there she learnt that her husband was actually not an Omani but a Pakistani citizen. After some time he took Mohammed Begum to Pakistan. There he confined her to the house. She was not permitted to talk to her parents on phone. He once allowed her to return to India to meet her parents. Thereafter she returned to Pakistan.

Later distraught by the harassment by her husband, Mohammed Begum decided to return to Hyderabad but her passport had expired. Mohammadi Begum’s parents explained the situation to Amjadullah Khan, who wrote a letter to Indian foreign minister requesting her to renew the passport and help the woman return to her country.

Indian High Commission officials in Pakistan directed to renew the passport and to provide the visa for returning to the country. Her husband said he doesn’t have money for the ticket. Responding to this, Swaraj called the woman “India’s daughter,” and tweeted: “She is India’s daughter. If ticket is a problem, we will provide the ticket to Mohammadi Begum for her return from Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, Mohammadi Begum’s visa expired. On the direction of the foreign minister, Indian High Commission extended the visa and provided her air ticket. After the relentless efforts for one year, Mohammed Begum left Pakistan on February 28 and reached Delhi Airport at 2:10 pm. She reached Hyderabad at 8:55 pm.

Mohammadi Begum has 3 sons and 2 daughters whom she has left in Pakistan. Husband’s harassment has made Mohammadi Begum mentally ill.