Pakistan returned an Indian woman, Wahida Begum, and her minor son, Faiz Khan, to Indian forces at the Wagah border in Punjab after they served a little over a year for illegally entering Pakistan in 2023.

According to a Pakistani official on Thursday, both were victims of human trafficking and had been released from a jail in Balochistan province’s Quetta.

Wahida, from Nagaon district in Assam, was arrested in 2023 while illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan via the Chaman border. She revealed to Pakistani authorities that an Indian travel agent had deceived her, leading her to Pakistan.

‘After my husband’s death in 2022, I decided to take my son to Canada. I sold my property and paid a hefty sum to an Indian agent,’ she said.

The agent accompanied them to Dubai and Afghanistan, promising to take them to Canada. However, in Afghanistan, he absconded with their money and passports.

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To return to India, they crossed into Pakistan via the Chaman border, where they were arrested under the Foreigners Act.

‘After several months of consular access and verifying citizenship, our release process began,’ she said, mentioning that her Pakistani lawyer informed her family in India about their situation.

Her relatives then sought assistance from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

After Indian High Commission officials raised their case with the interior ministry in Islamabad, Wahida and her son were released and handed over to the BSF at the Wagah border.

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Additionally, two other Indian citizens, Shabir Ahmed and Suraj Pal, were also returned to the BSF on Wednesday.

Ahmed was released from Karachi’s Malir Jail, while Pal was freed from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after serving their sentences.