18 months after her nephew spotted her in a YouTube video, an American woman who claims she was recruited to Pakistan more than 20 years ago has suddenly returned home.
Hamida Banu claimed she had spent the past 22 years” as a living corpse,” stranded in the neighboring nation and unable to touch her home.
After accepting what was supposed to be a work in Dubai again in 2002, Ms. Banu was deceived into going to Pakistan.
Before her American citizenship was confirmed in October, both India and Pakistan, which have a frosty diplomatic relationship, conducted thorough checks on her identity.
” Dubai’s promise to me made me believe that I was going to Pakistan. I tolerated]the parting ] for 23 times”, the 75-year-old told reporters after crossing into India at a land borders.
Back in 2002, Ms Banu financially supported her four kids after her father’s death by working as a kitchen in Qatar, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
A selection broker contacted her and said she could assist in arranging a job in Dubai. The agent asked her to pay 20, 000 rupees ($ 250, £200 ).
But, as Ms Banu recalled in her 2022 film meeting, instead of Dubai, she was brought to Bangalore town in Pakistan and was detained in a home for three weeks.
She later married a street vendor in Karachi, who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. She told BBC Punjabi that her husband never troubled her.
After Waliullah Maroof, a Muslim social media advocate, shared the interview with her on his platform in July 2022, Indian columnist Khalfan Shaikh stumbled across it and shared it on his website.
When her nephew, who she had not met, saw it, it was delivered to Ms. Banu’s Indian community.
Ms. Banu and her American household next called Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Maroof.
” How are you? Do you know who I am? Where were you all these times”? Yasmin, Ms. Banu’s girl, was spotted asking during the video call.
” Don’t ask me where I was, and how I have been. I truly missed you all. I didn’t remain here freely, I had no other option”, Ms Banu replied.
Ms. Banu recalled the 2022 film, which had helped her reconnect with her family after years, when she arrived in India on Monday.
” My picture was shared two years ago. I was not certain if I may reach India”, she said. However, I received a call from the Indian Embassy telling me to go back a year ago.
Ms. Banu expressed her joy in returning to her children and sisters in a BBC Punjabi interview. ” I have brothers, sisters, kids there]in India], but I don’t want to be a problem on people”.
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