Two Indian citizens, Mohammad Hasnain and Ishaq Ameer, who reportedly entered Karachi illegally last week, have expressed their willingness to go to jail but do not want to return to India. According to Karachi police, they entered Pakistan through the Pak-Afghan border, claiming asylum due to threats to their lives stemming from religious persecution in India.
Karachi’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (South), Asad Raza, stated that they do not suspect the father-son duo of being spies but consider them victims of religious bias and persecution in India. An Edhi Shelter home has temporarily housed the two Indian nationals, and it appears that they are seeking asylum in Pakistan.
The Indian nationals staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on September 25, condemning atrocities faced by Muslims in India. They expressed their fear of being killed if deported to India and stated a preference for dying in Pakistan, where they could at least have some land for burial.
The statement from the Artillery Ground police station also mentioned that the duo also visited the Sindh police chief’s office, but their concerns were not addressed. Their official Indian documents are with Edhi staff, and the Indian nationals undertook a 14-day journey from their residence in New Delhi’s Gautampuri area before entering Pakistan.
Indian nationals narrate their journey
Yesterday, outside the press club, Hasnain recounted his recent journey. He mentioned that he and his son left New Delhi on September 5 and initially traveled to the UAE. From there, they reached out to the Afghanistan embassy to obtain a visa. They then flew to Kabul and subsequently to Kandahar, where they crossed into Pakistan through a relatively porous border. After spending a night in a border town, they continued their journey to Pakistan. In Pakistan, they paid a man Rs60,000 for transportation to Karachi.
Hasnain expressed his concern about the treatment of Muslims in India, stating that it often goes unreported due to media bias in favor of the Modi government. He mentioned that only a small section of the media highlights the challenges faced by Muslims, while many others tend to portray Muslims negatively, even when they are protesting peacefully. He also noted that some wealthy individuals chose to migrate to countries like Europe, America, Britain, Germany, or Canada, while others went to countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, or Malaysia, but he did not have the financial means to do so.
Responding to a question, Hasnain mentioned that he was denied a hotel room in Karachi because he did not have proper identification.
Hasnain’s son, Ameer, also spoke to the media and explained that when they arrived in Karachi, they first went to Orangi Town and then directly to the office of the Inspector General of Sindh. There, they surrendered voluntarily, explaining that they had fled India. They requested the police to provide them with refuge, sharing the full story of their illegal journey into Pakistan. The police directed them to an Edhi shelter home.
