Expecting a reunion with his mother, the 15-year old runaway Pakistani boy Mohammed Ramzan who is now staying in a shelter home here has packed his baggage. Though his return passage has not yet been cleared but Ramzan has pinned hopes of his return on Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s two-day stay in Bhopal.
Ramzan’s hopes to reunite with his mother in Pakistan have been rekindled after the media reports that Swaraj would be in the State capital for two days from Monday. He is hopeful that the Union External Affairs Minister would initiate for his early return. Ramzan is staying here at Childline, a shelter home since last two years
According to the director, Bhopal chapter of Childline Archana Sahay, leaders of both the countries would have to take initiatives, then only Ramzan would return to his native country. He is still hopeful that soon he can return to Pakistan, Sahay added.
Notably, last month, Ramzan’s return was almost certain and his mother was also supposed to visit him here to take him back but at the eleventh hour his mother wrote a letter to Indian Embassy stating that Pakistani nationals are ill-treated in India that is why she was not going to India. This halted Ramzan’s return proceedings.
On November 29, 2015 Pakistan embassy’s First Secretary (Visa) Khadim Hussain has also called on Ramzan here at the shelter home. Then also hopes of his early return were thought to be fulfilled but till now no response came from the Pakistani side.
Ramzan’s story carries uncanny resemblance to any Bollywood tale as the 15-year-old boy’s nationality is stuck between three countries. After Ramzan’s mother Razia Beghum split with his father Mohammad Kajal, the latter took Ramzan along with him to Bangladesh and married another woman. However after this marriage, Ramzan’s father distanced from him and his stepmother started torturing him. Stressed over torture, Ramzan ran away from Bangladesh and reached India enroute to Pakistan. He was recovered by police at Bhopal railway station and was handed over to Childline.
Ramzan who is staying here for two years, revealed he was a Pakistani national only after Aadhar card were being prepared at the shelter home. Previously, IB officers had also questioned him.