Two Indian citizens, Mohammad Hasnain and his son Ishaq Ameer, who entered Pakistan illegally through the Pak-Afghan border, have sought asylum there, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday.
As per the report, they expressed their willingness to face jail in Pakistan rather than returning to India. Karachi Deputy Inspector General of Police (South) Asad Raza stated that the father-son duo was not suspected of being spies, but were considered “victims of religious bias and persecution in India.”
‘We won’t go back’
They have been temporarily housed in an Edhi Shelter home, suggesting their intent to seek asylum in Pakistan.
A statement issued by the Artillery Ground police station in Karachi said that the two men staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on September 25 against “atrocities faced by Muslims in India.” They were quoted as saying, “We are ready to go to jail but not back to India. We will be killed as soon as we step on Indian land if we are deported. If you want to kill us, kill us in Pakistan. At least we will get some land for burial. In India, we won’t even get that.”
‘Atrocities unreported’
The father-son duo undertook a 14-day journey from their residence in the Gautampuri area of New Delhi before entering Pakistan. They told Pakistan authorities that they left New Delhi on September 5 for the UAE, then travelled to Kabul, Afghanistan, before crossing into Pakistan through Kandahar.
Hasnain expressed concerns about the situation for Muslims in India, stating that atrocities against them are underreported. He mentioned that since the Modi government came into power, the media had largely supported the government, and there is limited coverage of the problems faced by Muslims.
Hasnain’s son, Ameer, corroborated their journey’s details and their intent to seek asylum in Pakistan. The police directed them to an Edhi shelter home for assistance.
Neighbours surprised
As per another report published in Scroll, Hasnain’s neighbours in Gautampuri, New Delhi, were surprised to learn of their departure to Pakistan. They described Hasnain as a good man who had been living in the neighbourhood for several months. He had recently handed over the keys to his apartment to a neighbour before leaving for Dubai.
Hasnain told the neighbour that his son had found a job in Dubai.
In their statement to Dawn, Hasnain expressed concerns about the situation in India and cited religious persecution. However, his neighbours mentioned that they were not aware of any harassment, attack, or violence faced by him or his son.
Most of the residents in their neighbourhood are Muslim, with two Hindu families living peacefully alongside them, even having a nearby temple.
