Return to the country after 22 years: Hamida's story, journey from Pakistan to India

Amritsar: A woman who was a victim of human trafficking in Pakistan 22 years ago has returned to her homeland India after 22 years. This woman named Hamida Bano has returned to India after trafficking. 75-year-old Hamida Bano reached Attari Junction in India via Wagah Border on Monday. This moment was emotional for Hamida and her family who had been waiting for this important moment for a long time.

At Attari Junction, her sister, brother-in-law and brother gave her an emotional welcome. They had reached Attari Junction from Mumbai by Amritsar Express. When she was leaving for India from Karachi, her husband and relatives asked her if she would miss them. To this Hamida said that not at all, I am going to my homeland happily. When they said that this was a hoax, Hamida jokingly said that she was just joking.

Her son, who works in Karnataka, had advised her against working abroad, but Hamida wanted to go abroad for a brighter future for her children. Hamida, a mother of four children, went to Qatar in 2002 to work as a cook. An agent promised her a job in Dubai but later sent her to Pakistan. There she had to live on the streets and in mosques. Later she started a small shop.

She then married a Pakistani man named 'Dar Muhammad', who died a few years ago. Then she met a Pakistani YouTuber. In 2022, the YouTuber interviewed Hamida and posted it on YouTube. In it, Hamida explained how she was trafficked to Karachi along with another Indian woman, Shahnaz from Bengaluru.

After the video went viral, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad confirmed her identity and booked a flight ticket from Karachi to Lahore. She was then sent to the Wagah border from where she returned to India and reunited with her family. The family's long wait was over.

PC: Asianetnews