Sushma Swaraj's Diwali gift to Pakistani boy: Medical visa for liver treatment
The child's father, Kashif, had requested Swaraj on Twitter to grant medical visa for treatment of Abdullah, saying he needed post-liver transplant evaluation in India.
In Short
- Sushma has directed Indian High Commission to issue visa to Pakistani boy.
- The boy needed post-liver treatment evaluation.
- Swaraj has also granted medical visa to a Pakistani woman.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has directed the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue a visa to a Pakistani child for medical treatment in India.
The child's father, Kashif, had requested Swaraj on Twitter to grant medical visa for treatment of Abdullah, saying he needed post-liver transplant evaluation in India.
"The treatment of your child must not suffer for want of medicine. I have asked Indian High Commission to issue medical visa. @ChachaKashif," the minister tweeted yesterday.
Kashif had said the child's medicines were about to finish and he needed immediate medical consultation in India.
In another tweet, Swaraj said a medical visa has also been approved for a Pakistani woman, who wants to undergo liver surgery in India.
The woman's son, Rafique Memon, had requested Swaraj to intervene and grant visa to his mother.
Swaraj also responded positively to a request by Nazir Ahmed that his eight-year-old child Mohammad Ahmed is awaiting medical visa for a year.
"We will issue visa to facilitate treatment of your 8- year-old child in India," she said.
Swaraj has been taking a sympathetic approach in granting medical visas to Pakistani nationals, notwithstanding strain in ties between India and Pakistan over a host of issues, including cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
DIWALI PROMISE
Marking the auspicious occasion of Diwali, India on Thursday promised medical visas all those people abroad, including in Pakistan, seeking treatment.
"On the auspicious occasion of Deepawali, India will grant medical visa in all deserving cases pending today," Swaraj tweeted.
On the auspicious occasion of Deepawali, India will grant medical Visa in all deserving cases pending today. @IndiainPakistan- Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 19, 2017
Keeping to a promise made on Independence Day, India on Wednesday issued six more medical visas to Pakistani nationals, including three children.
"We will issue visa to facilitate treatment of your eight-year-old child in India," Sushma tweeted on Wednesday night in response to a request from Nazir Ahmed who said that his son Mohammad Ahmed was awaiting a medical visa from India for one year.
In a separate tweet, she also promised a visa to Muhammad Asif Malik's son, who is currently in an intensive care unit (ICU) in children's hospital in Lahore, and to Kasif Chacha's child who is running out of medicine.
Visas were also issued to Irfan Ahmed Shaikh, Nasir Mahmood and the mother of Rafique Menon for liver surgeries.
This month, Sushma announced the issuance of 19 medical visas to Pakistanis for treatment in India.
WITH INPUTS FROM IANS