Twist of fate: Geeta is coming home
PTI
Islamabad/Delhi
Geeta, the deaf-mute Indian woman living in Pakistan after accidentally crossing the border over a decade ago, will be reunited with her family soon.
“Geeta will be back in India soon. We have located her family. She will be handed over to the family only after the DNA test,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today in New Delhi.
23-year-old Geeta was adopted by the Edhi Foundation's Bilquees Edhi and lives with her in Karachi.
Pakistani authorities said they have completed all formalities to repatriate Geeta to India.
“We have completed all formalities on our part for repatriation of Geeta. The Indian side has already been informed accordingly. We, therefore, are waiting for response from the Indian High Commission regarding the mode of her return,” Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said.
The Indian woman stranded in Pakistan for over 10 years is poised to be reunited with her family, Edhi Foundation spokesman Anwar Kazmi also confirmed.
Faisal Edhi of Edhi Foundation said Geeta is expected to be repatriated on October 26.
“Initially she was supposed to go on October 19 but it has been rescheduled and now she is expected to fly back on October 26,” he said.
He said that if allowed by the Indian government, Bilquees will accompany her to hand her over to her family in India.
According to sources, Geeta has identified her father, step-mother and siblings from a photograph sent to her by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The family reportedly lives in Bihar.
Geeta was reportedly just 7 or 8 years old when she was found sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express by the Pakistan Rangers 15 years ago at the Lahore railway station.
Police took her to the Edhi Foundation in Lahore and later she was shifted to Karachi.
Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, T C A Raghavan, and his wife had visited Geeta in August after Swaraj directed him to meet her and try to locate her family.
A Foreign Office spokesman said that Pakistan would cooperate for the return of Geeta.
Quote: We have completed all formalities on our part for repatriation of Geeta. The Indian side has already been informed accordingly. We, therefore, are waiting for response from the Indian High Commission regarding the mode of her return - Qazi Khalilullah, Foreign Office spokesman
