Sushma Swaraj snubs Islamabad's 'cold-blooded politicking' rhetoric, promises more medical visas to Pakistanis.
Thursday, November 30, 2017 IST
New Delhi: Despite Islamabad's objections, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that visas will be issued to a teenaged girl and two other children from Pakistan.
After assuring medical visas to 12 Pakistani nationals seeking treatment in India last week, Swaraj on Wednesday assured visa to a teenaged girl and two other children on medical grounds.
Sohail Aarbi, a Pakistani national, appealed to Swaraj to issue visa to his 14-year-old daughter Hadia saying she was in a critical state and requires a liver transplant surgery.
"Indian High Commission in Pakistan will issue visa for her liver transplant surgery in India. @IndiainPakistan," Swaraj tweeted. Another Pakistani national Masroor Akhtar Siddiqui also sought Swaraj's help so that an open heart surgery could be conducted on his three-year-old son Muhammad Shafay. "Yes. Muhammad Shafay is only 3 years old. We will issue visa for his open heart surgery in India. @IndiainPakistan," the EAM tweeted. She also tweeted that there was a request for bone marrow transplant of nine-year-old Abdur Rehman and a visa will be issued to him. The Union Minister also assured a visa to nine-year-old Abdur Rehman to undergo bone marrow transplant in India.
Last week, Pakistan accused India of politicising humanitarian issues and said "selective issuance" of medical visas to its citizens was not a gesture of compassion but "cold-blooded politicking".
On November 25, another Pakistani national, Shahzaib Iqbal from Lahore, tweeted to Sushma Swaraj that "after Allah, you are our last hope" and sought a medical visa for his cousin. The Minister did not disappoint him.
On Independence Day, the External Affairs Ministry had announced that India would provide medical visa to all bonafide Pakistani patients.
Earlier, as ties between the two countries soured, the ministry announced in May that only a letter of recommendation by then Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz would enable a Pakistani to get a medical visa.
Islamabad said such a letter violated diplomatic norms. Since August 15, Pakistanis seeking medical treatment have not been denied visa.
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