Hamida Banu: Missing India woman found in Pakistan ‘can’t wait to go home’

A good Indian woman who had been missing for 20 years has been found in Pakistan with the help of a video upon social media.

Hamida Banu left India in 2002 following a recruitment agent guaranteed to get her the job of a cook within Dubai. Instead, she says, she had been tricked and trafficked to Pakistan.

Microsoft Banu’s family in India’s Mumbai informed BBC Marathi they spent two decades trying to find her – plus they finally managed to do this because of two men, one in India and the other in Pakistan.

The adjoining countries share the tense relationship, which often makes it difficult designed for Indians and Pakistanis to travel across the boundary. In Ms Banu’s case, she seemed to be hobbled by a lack of financial resources and know-how.

But over time, she never ended yearning to meet the girl children. Finally, within July this year, Waliullah Maroof, a social media activist, interviewed Ms Banu and uploaded the video online.

An Indian journalist named Khalfan Shaikh – who lives in Mumbai — shared the video with his followers, which led to Ms Banu’s family finding her.

The two men then assisted set up a video call between Ms Banu and her child Yasmin Shaikh.

“How are you? Did you recognise me? Where were you all these years? ” Yasmin is seen asking in the emotional video.

“Don’t ask me where I was, and how I have already been. I missed a person all so much. We didn’t stay here willingly, I had most choice, ” Microsoft Banu replies.

In the interview with Mr Maroof, Ms Banu says that she had been financially supporting her four children in India right after her husband’s dying. She had worked as a cook within Doha, Qatar, Dubai and Saudi Arabia in the past without any issues.

In 2002, the girl approached a recruitment agent to help prepare a job in Dubai. The woman asked her to pay 20, 000 rupees ($250; £200).

Ms Banu states in the video that will instead of Dubai, she was brought to Hyderabad city in Pakistan – there, the girl says she was detained in a home for three months.

Sometime over the years, she married a person who lived in Karachi city — but he passed away during the Covid-19 outbreak. Ms Banu now lives with the girl stepson.

Yasmin says that in the girl mother’s previous stints abroad, she would call them regularly. But after she left in 2002, they will waited months for the phone call. Finally, they approached the realtor who had prepared the trip.

“She told us that our mother was nicely and didn’t want to speak with us. All of us kept returning to ask questions about our mom, and then she [the agent] all of a sudden vanished, ” Yasmin adds.

Mister Maroof, an vorbeter at a local mosque in Karachi, says he first met her around 15 years ago when she relocated to his neighbourhood plus opened a small shop.

“I have been viewing her since my childhood. She always appeared distressed, ” he admits that.

For years, Mr Maroof had used his social media accounts to help women from Bangladesh – who was simply trafficked to Pakistan – find their own families.

After Ms Banu’s second husband died, she often requested Mr Marroof’s mom to persuade him to help her as well.

Mr Maroof says he sympathised with her, but was hesitant because of the frosty relations between the countries.

“My friends advised me personally to stay away from Indian, suggesting that it may land me in trouble. However , I experienced so bad for the girl that I couldn’t resist it anymore, inch he said, saying that he doesn’t consider any money for their efforts.

In the job interview, Ms Banu got mentioned her Mumbai address and the titles of her kids.

When Mr Shaikh shared the video, it was spotted by Yasmin’s son, Aman.

The particular 18-year-old had never ever met his grandma, as he was born right after she left, but Yasmin recognised the girl immediately.

Mr Maroof says that authorities at the Indian Higher Commission in Pakistan have contacted your pet and asked Microsoft Banu to submit an application with details of the situation so they can begin the process of repatriation. But this individual isn’t sure just how much time it will take.

In the meantime, Ms Banu is counting the days until she can return home. The girl says she experienced almost lost wish of ever conference her children once again.

Across the border, the emotions are similar, Yasmin says.

“We waited for her for 20 years. I am so happy right now. I can’t stop cheerful ever since I saw that will video. It’s an unusual feeling. ”