Pakistani son in US unable to visit Indian mother who is on deathbed

Mirza Ismail

"My mother was recently admitted to Maxcure hospital in Hyderabad. But the doctors have given up hope and asked the family to take my mother home. I want to meet her before anything goes wrong," he said.

"I need to reach India at the earliest, or else I will always feel guilty that I did not make it in time to meet my mother," added the senior citizen. "I am not aware why I have not been given clearance for the visa," he said, adding that he had managed to get visas for himself, his wife and son in 2008, which was the last time he visited his mother in India.

Mirza (right) lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and son

US and BJP try to help
After he approached the American authorities to support his case, Renitta Shannon, Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, wrote to Dr Swati Kulkarni, Consul General of India, Atlanta. She wrote: "I have known the family for some years. I am writing a letter in encouragement of providing Mirza an expedited visa to visit his sick mother."

But when even that didn't work, the family reached out to the ruling party, BJP, for help. Mirza wrote to Mack Ajani, president of the party's NRI cell in Mumbai. "We have received a letter from Mirza requesting help in getting visa clearance. It seems to be a genuine case that needs to be dealt with on priority. I will take up the issue with senior party leaders and the appropriate authority at the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that the mother-son reunion happens at the earliest," said Ajani.

Mack Ajani

Fighting cancer himself
Mirza, who was employed at a gas station in the US, is now retired and facing a battle with cancer himself. This trip to India could not only be the last time he meets his mother, but also the final time his relatives get to see him, he fears. Amina, a resident of Pune, is currently at her elder son Abdulsultan's home in Hyderabad. "Our mother is bed-ridden and has been provided oxygen supply at home.

The doctors who treated her have issued a letter that clearly mentions her critical health status. The doctor has given a reference letter so that Mirza's the visa process can be expedited. Her condition has deteriorated further and her health doesn't look good. We all want Mirza to be here in India with us in this crucial time," said the elder brother, Abdulsultan, 68.

Mirza said, "I have been told I have the same cancer as my father, with 5 per cent growth in my bone marrow. I don't have much time on this Earth either. I want to meet my dearest mother one last time, and my extended family will also get a chance to meet me one more time. "I can't stop thinking about my mother; I saw her last in 2008. She got up at 3 am a couple of days ago and asked where I was. It breaks my heart that I'm not there with her now."

Family history
Amina and her husband are originally from Gujarat but migrated to Maharashtra. Her elder son Abdulsultan was born in 1950 in Ahmednagar. While the entire family has Indian citizenship, Mirza was born in Pakistan in 1953, when Amina was visiting her aunt in Karachi. His aunt adopted him, and he lived in Karachi until he moved to the US in 1990. He obtained US citizenship in 2006.

Indian Consulate says
Responding to mid-day's query via email, L T Ngaihte, Consul at the Consulate General of India Atlanta, wrote, "This post is aware of the case you have mentioned and is waiting for clearance from MHA [Ministry of Home affairs], as required under the visa rules, on the basis of the applicant being a US national of Pakistan origin. The application was made to this post just two weeks ago."

Also Read: Pakistan Thanks India For Reuniting 5-Year-Old Boy With Mother

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