RAWALPINDI: Two Pakistani children who were denied medical treatment in India have successfully undergone life-saving heart surgeries at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi.
Abdullah, 9, and his 7-year-old sister Minsa, both suffering from congenital heart conditions, were treated at AFIC following swift intervention by Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir. The siblings had initially traveled to New Delhi with their father, Shahid Ahmed, in hopes of receiving critical care, but were expelled from India after their visas were abruptly canceled amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Expressing deep gratitude, Shahid Ahmed said, “Field Marshal Asim Munir immediately took notice of our case and took full responsibility for the surgeries. Alhamdulillah, my children are doing much better now. As a patient myself, I may not have been able to endure the trauma. The dedication of the doctors was remarkable, and AFIC is truly an exceptional institution.”
Major General (Retired) Dr. Naseer Ahmed Soomro, Commandant and Executive Director of AFIC, commended the medical team for their dedication. He stated that the children’s treatment plans were meticulously developed and successfully carried out with the help of Allah.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal had earlier taken notice of the situation after the children were forced to return from India without receiving treatment. He directed the Director General of Health to provide immediate support and assured the family that the Pakistani government would ensure the children received proper medical care.
The siblings’ ordeal came amid heightened diplomatic strain following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. In the aftermath, India suspended Pakistani visas and instructed Pakistani citizens to leave the country.
With their treatment now completed in Pakistan, the successful surgeries at AFIC underscore the growing capacity of local medical institutions to provide complex and urgent care, especially during politically sensitive times.
