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Bhopal: Stranded Pak boy eager to meet mother

A senior Pakistani diplomat on Friday met Mohammad Ramzan, the Pakistani boy stranded in Bhopal for the past two years .

Updated on: Nov 29, 2015, 19:26:14 IST
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A senior Pakistani diplomat on Friday met Mohammad Ramzan, the Pakistani boy stranded in Bhopal for the past two years after he dramatically ran away from his father’s home in Bangladesh to escape an abusive stepmother.

Ramzan with a Pakistan high commission official. (Praveen Bajpai/HT photo)
Ramzan with a Pakistan high commission official. (Praveen Bajpai/HT photo)

Khadim Hussain, first secretary (visa) in the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, Sanjay Kumar, deputy secretary in the ministry of external affairs and Archana Sahay , the director of Umeed, the shelter home run by the NGO Aarambh, met Ramzan at the home. During the hour-long meeting, Hussain asked Ramzan about his childhood memories and journey to India and the names of places where he lived in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

Asked what he wished most, Ramzan said he just wanted to go to Karachi to reunite with his mother, Begum Razia.

Sanjay Kumar will also submit the details of the meeting to the ministry of external affairs.

Addressing the media, Sahay, who is also a director of Childine, said, “We are happy with the meeting as it was positive. Ramzan shared his life events with Hussain, who crosschecked all the facts that were earlier sent in the repatriation application to the Pakistan High Commission.”

Hussain also asked about Umeed and Ramzan’s journey to Bhopal, she said. “This is the important step and soon Ramzan will reunite with his mother in Karachi.”

Hussain to submit report to Pakistan High Commission for Ramzan’s repatriation

Hussain, who had come with sweets and fruits for the boy and other inmates of the shelter home, said he will submit a report to the Pakistan High Commission for Ramzan’s repatriation.

Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney told HT that the application for Ramzan’s repatriation has been accepted by Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain. “I have also submitted all the documents related to Ramzan and his family to prove his nationality under various section of the Nationality Act,” he said.

Ramzan optimistic of going to his country and meeting his mother

Ramzan said he is optimistic of going to his country and meeting his mother there.

“Three months ago I was planning to run away from the shelter home Umeed as I had given up on getting reunited with my family. But within three months years of wait came to an end and I am sure I will meet my mother soon,” said Ramzan.

Ramzan has been living in a shelter home Umeed in Bhopal after he was found at the railway station by government railway police two years ago.

He told police he had come from Bangladesh having run away from his home and wanted to go to Pakistan to meet his mother.

Talking to HT Ramzan said, “I am happy that people from both countries are trying to reunite me with my mother. I have started my packing.”

I missed biryani and football too much: Ramzan

When asked what he will take with himself to Pakistan, Ramzan said, “I have downloaded all my photographs in a pen drive especially of Archana mam, Vijay sir and Rahul, my best friend. I will take my certificates and photographs printed in the newspapers to show my friends. Other than this, I will not carry anything to Karachi.”

“In the past few years, I missed biryani and football too much so I will eat biryani daily at Karachi. I also want to continue my study as I want to be a dress designer like my ‘Mamu’ (maternal uncle), who is working in garments factory in Dubai,” he added.

“I will also watch the movies of Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor in Pakistan. These are my favourite heroes. Today, I watched movie ‘Tamasha’ and I liked it too much,” he added.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More