Family thanked Swaraj for safe return of Hamid Nehal Ansari from Pakistan
| 19-Dec-2018 |
The 33 years old engineer from Mumbai Hamid Nehal Ansari returned back home after spending six years in Pakistan’s Jail. Today, Ansari and his family met the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in Delhi. It was an emotive moment for the entire family and Hamid Nehal Ansari, when they met the External Affairs Minister. Tears were rolling down from the eyes of Hamid Nehal Ansari and his mother, when they met the External Affairs Minister. Ansari’s mother said "Mera Bharat mahaan, meri madam mahaan, sab madam ne hi kiya hai (my India is great, my madam is great, everything is done by madam).
On November 12, 2012, Ansari crossed over from Afghanistan border in Jalalabad to Peshawar in Pakistan where he was arrested by Pakistan intelligence. He was charged with espionage by Pakistan and sentenced to three years of imprisonment by a military court. However, he was kept in jail for six years.
Ansari reportedly became friendly with a Pakistani girl on social and reached Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to save her from a forced marriage. On Monday, the External Affairs Ministry said that it has received a note from Pakistan that they would be releasing Ansari on Tuesday. Ansari’s family members, including father Nehal and mother Fauzia, a large number of India-Pakistan friendship activists, officials and political personalities were present at the border to welcome him.
Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist and former legislator Krishna Hegde, who helped the family in the past few years, said they had gone to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to complete the formalities and secure his repatriation. It was an emotive reunion as the Ansari and his family knelt down and touched the soil with their foreheads as soon as Ansari entered in India. The family members hugged Ansari, who was looking weary. Ansari went to Afghanistan in November, 2012 and went missing since then.