Assam woman, son return home after detention in Pak for 1 year, alleges she was raped

Remember Wahida Begum? The woman from Assam and her 11-year-old son, Faiz Khan, who entered India on May 30 after they were detained for over a year in Pakistan Jail for lacking valid passports and visas. The mother-son duo were handed over to their family today on June 26 after being in Punjab police's custody. 

Speaking to media, Begum claimed that she was threatened, raped, and was forcibly separated from her son. She also alleged that she was transported to Kabul, Afghanistan, and later taken back to Pakistan via Chaman border near Kandahar.

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Wahida Begum and Faiz Khan were detained in Pakistan's Quetta since November 2022. Their family in Assam's Nagaon, learnt about their detention via a phone call and later through a legal notice from a Pakistani court. 

On May 29, 2024, the Pakistani government repatriated both Begum and her son to Indian officials at the Wagah Border.

Efforts by advocate Suman, along with intervention from Pakistan's Ministry of Interior, expedited their release. 

Wahida’s family initially sought assistance from the Delhi High Court but was redirected to the Gauhati High Court due to jurisdictional issues. Subsequently, the Supreme Court advised them to contact the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs. 

This led to diplomatic negotiations between India and Pakistan, ultimately facilitating their release.