TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

12 years after girl strayed into Pakistan, woman going home

An Indian woman who accidently crossed the border into Pakistan as a child nearly 12 years ago will return home soon, an Indian official said Thursday

Ashok Sharma (The Jakarta Post)
New Delhi
Thu, October 15, 2015 Published on Oct. 15, 2015 Published on 2015-10-15T20:51:44+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

A

n Indian woman who accidently crossed the border into Pakistan as a child nearly 12 years ago will return home soon, an Indian official said Thursday.

Vikas Swarup, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman, said the woman named Geeta would come after her travel documents are sorted out.

She will return to her family after a DNA test in India, Swarup said.

Geeta is deaf and mute and while in Pakistan she has been looked after by the charitable Edhi Foundation in Karachi.

In her room, she prays before a tiny temple filled with Hindu gods.

Anwar Kazmi, a spokesman for the Edhi Foundation, said in Karachi that Geeta would go back to her country on Oct. 26.

He said Geeta was around 11 when she inadvertently entered Pakistan.

"Since then, we have been trying to trace her family. Finally, we have succeeded and Geeta is very happy. We have told her that her travel documents are being prepared," he said.

"She recognized her family members through pictures, which were provided to us by the Indian High Commission," he said.

A man identified by Geeta as her father says she was lost in a village fair, a New Delhi news channel said. Both countries have villages close to the border, and Indians and Pakistanis have often strayed across the boundary.

"Geeta will be back in India soon. We have located her family. She will be handed over to them only after the DNA test," India's External Affairs Sushma Swaraj tweeted Thursday.

Swarup said the government has identified two institutions which are meant for people like Geeta with disabilities in case the DNA test was not conclusive.

___

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad, Pakistan.

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.