Pakistani family in India for heart surgery of two sons returns home

India ordered all Pakistani nationals to return after the central government issued a “Leave India” notice following the Pahalgam terror attack. A family that was in New Delhi to have life-saving procedures done on their two sons had to return home without getting the surgeries.

The terrorist attack in Baisaran on April 22 left 26 dead. India scrapped the visas issued to Pakistani citizens as part of its measures following the heinous crime in the valley. All visas were to expire on April 27, while the medical visas were set for a deadline of April 29.

Shahid Ali from Sindh’s Hyderabad city was in the Indian capital to have heart procedures for his two sons. Talha and Taha, aged nine and seven years respectively, suffer from a congenital heart condition.

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News agency PTI reported that Ali undertook rigorous and lengthy efforts before coming to India in March. He talked to specialists and had multiple tests done. He applied for medical visas, which also took time to get approved.

Ali is heartbroken that his sons couldn’t get the surgery in India

He says that he spent over Rs 1 crore on the family’s travel alone. Ali is sad that despite spending so much money and effort, the procedures could not be completed. He had appealed to let him stay and have the surgeries done. “Unfortunately, after the Pahalgam incident, the situation changed; we just didn’t have time for our appeals to be heard properly,” Ali said. 

He doesn’t rue spending all that money, but is heartbroken that “despite the best efforts of the medical staff in Delhi”, the surgeries did not reach fruition, according to PTI.

Now that he cannot get the procedures done in India, Shahid Ali has appealed to the government of Pakistan to help arrange them in some other country. 

Hundreds of Pakistani nationals have returned home through the Attari-Wagah border after India announced several measures in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. The integrated check post at Attari has been closed, and the number of personnel at Pakistani high commissions has been reduced. The biggest decision was the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.