Mother of Mumbai IT engineer who is jailed in Pakistan prays for his well being
“I have been only praying and I know he is innocent,” says Ansari’s mother
Mumbai resident Hamid Ansari’s petition for remission and release in the Peshawar high court has failed to reassure his mother Fauzia. Since her son went missing in 2012, Fauzia’s expressions have not changed — haggard, pleading and praying for his well being.
The 32-year-old IT engineer has been languishing in Pakistan prison since 2012.
He claimed to have gone to Pakistan to meet a woman he befriended on Facebook. Fauzia, a teacher, has been relentless in her efforts to bring him back to India.
According to Fauzia, her lawyer in Pakistan informed her that the country has admitted in the court that Ansari was in their custody and charged with espionage and sentenced to three years for the ‘crime’.
Fauzia contests these charges calling them “baseless” and “false.”
Speaking to HT on Wednesday morning, Fauzia said, “Our lawyer has filed a petition that stay should be considered on the charges against my son. The petition is for remission and release. I hope that the high court will consider that. We have not heard more on that.”
Fauzia’s voice is almost a whisper but she is still persisting.
“I have been only praying and I know he is innocent and he is not involved in any of the activities that he has been charged with. The allegations against him are wrong. Looking at his past record, he hasn’t been part of any such activities.”
In August last year, Ansari was assaulted at Mardan central prison. Ansari’s mother has also approached external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to help secure his release.
