Teary-eyed Pak girl leaves Indian mother behind amid expulsion

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks, 11-year-old Zainab and 8-year-old Zenish face a tragic dilemma at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, as both are being sent back to Pakistan with their mother stuck in Delhi.

“Very difficult to leave my mother behind. My heart is broken,” Zainab tells India Today TV, her voice breaking and her eyes welling up with tears.

Both children, Pakistani nationals, arrived in India with their mother, who holds an Indian passport, to meet their grandmother in Delhi last month. Little did they know that within a month, the relationship between the countries would hit an all-time low.

“I came here to meet my Naani in Delhi, but now we are going back without my mother as she has an Indian passport and we are Pakistani,” said Zainab, her voice filled with sadness.

“Told my mother several times to come with me, but she said that the government had given orders,” she added.

While Zainab said that terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attacks should be “severely punished,” she had a message for the government: “Don’t bother innocent people like us.”

Back at the India-Pakistan border, Zainab’s pain was shared by her younger sister, Zenish, who expressed her grief, saying, “I can’t stay without my mother.”

The family, which travelled from Karachi to India last month, has been caught in a bureaucratic nightmare. The situation stems from the fact that the mothers hold Indian citizenship, while their children are Pakistani nationals.

“I appeal to allow my mother to travel to Pakistan,” said Alyan, another child caught in the tragedy. His words echoed a desperate plea for help.

Mohammad Irfan, the father of Alyan, explained the distress they are facing. “We came from Karachi to India last month. Today we are going back without my wife, Nabila, as she has an Indian passport. My children are devastated. These terrorists have ruined our family and must face action,” he told India Today TV, his voice filled with frustration and sorrow.