India To Send Back Pakistani Sisters Arrested For Smuggling Narcotics In 2006
The sisters will be accompanied by Fatima's 11-year-old daughter, Hina. Fatima was pregnant when she was taken into custody and gave birth to her daughter Hina in Amritsar jail.
Two Pakistani sisters identified as Fatima and Mumtaz, who were arrested along with their mother for smuggling narcotics into India in 2006, are set to return to Pakistan after being behind the bars for over 10 years. Their mother died in the prison in 2008.
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The sisters will be accompanied by Fatima's 11-year-old daughter, Hina. Fatima was pregnant when she was taken into custody and gave birth to her daughter Hina in Amritsar jail.
While speaking to TOI, Hina said that she wanted to be a doctor so she could help people. "My mother, aunt and grandmother were innocent and had to spend more than ten years in jail for no fault of theirs, it could be someone's mistake. If I become an officer, the chances are that I could also do some mistake but If I am a doctor then I will only be helping people so I want to be a doctor," Hina said.
The 11-year-old added that she had learnt Punjabi, English and Mathematics in India and that she would continue her studies in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Fatima and Mumtaz expressed their desire to visit the Golden Temple to pay their gratitude to the almighty upon their release.
"We have requested the jail authorities to give us permission to pay obeisance at Golden Temple before sending us back," Fatima told TOI.
Both Fatima and Mumtaz along with the 11-year-old will be handed over to Pakistan via Attari border on Thursday.
Rashida along with her daughters Fatima and Mumtaz was arrested on May 8, 2006, at Attari international border after they were caught smuggling narcotics into India. The three of them were booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and sentenced to 10-and-a half years in jail.
The court had also slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh each and in the case of non-payment of fine both of them had to serve another two years of imprisonment.
Rashida collapsed in in Amritsar Central Security jail on May 21, 2008, on her way to the court and died. Her mortal remains were handed over to Pakistan in June 2008.Their term ended in November 2016. A Batala based NGO Humanity Club deposited Rs 4 lakh slapped as fine on their behalf on April 2017.
Advocate Navjot Kaur Chabba who fought their case told TOI that Fatima, Mumtaz and Hina would leave for their country on Thursday.
As a goodwill gesture, the Humanity Club presented a gold chain with flags of India and Pakistan to Hina. "Hina is born in India but she is a Pakistani national and will spend rest of her life there.
We want to bid her farewell in warmest of manner as she could be a bridge between two nations" said the president of club Navtej Singh.