Almighty has heard our prayers, say Indian prisoner Hamid Ansari’s parents

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

After years running from pillar to post, Fauzia Ansari is smiling again. The elderly teacher from Mumbai along with her husband Nehal and elder son Khalid will finally re-unite with her younger son Hamid Ansari after six years at Wagah border on Tuesday.

Her son, a software engineer from Mumbai, crossed over on illegal documents from Kabul into Kohat in Pakistan in 2012 to meet Saba, the love of his life he befriended online. Hamid Ansari was arrested on charges of espionage and lodged at the central jail in Peshawar.

He was convicted in December 2015 for anti-state activities. Only in 2016 in reply to a habeas corpus petition filed by Fauzia did the family ascertain Hamid was being tried by a Pakistani military court. Sources today confirmed that Hamid would be handed back to India on Tuesday following the completion of his three-year prison term on December 15, 2018.

“On December 13, when the Pakistan government told court that they needed another month for repatriation process, we were all shocked. We were painting and lighting up the house, but were shattered on hearing this. So we thought let us go to Delhi to ask the Pakistani High Commissioner about the release date. Now it is unbelievable that tomorrow I will see him finally and he will be on Indian soil,” said a choking Fauzia Ansari who later met Pakistani envoy Sohail Mahmood.

“He was never a spy. He was in love. Both governments need to realise that because of social media and internet the world has become smaller and people are in touch across borders. When you deny emotions someone like Hamid may take a risk knowing very well that they may end up getting arrested,” said Jatin Desai, a journalist who supported Fauzia Ansari all these years in her struggle.