KARACHI: An Indian woman trafficked to Pakistan over two decades ago returned to her homeland via the Wagah Border in eastern Punjab province to reunite with her family after 22 years, a local cleric who located her family across the border and facilitated her return confirmed Tuesday.
Hammida Banu Shaik was trafficked in 2002 after an employment agency offered her a job in Dubai. Having spent nine years working in Doha during the 1990s, Shaik did not suspect the job offer was part of a plot to kidnap and traffic her.
She was eventually taken to Pakistan, where she was kept in illegal confinement in the southern city of Hyderabad. After three months, she managed to escape through a window and fled to Karachi, where she spent the remainder of her time in the country.
Arab News reviewed proof of Shaik’s employment in the Middle East and her Indian nationality while covering her story two years ago.
“Shaik was handed over to Indian government officials at the Wagah Border, who processed her immigration, and she entered India,” the local cleric, Waliullah Maroof, told Arab News.
“She was given protocol by the foreign ministry at the Karachi and Lahore airports, and she was transported to the Wagah Border like a VIP [very important personality],” he added.
Maroof recalled receiving a call from an Indian embassy official on Nov. 25, confirming Shaik’s Indian nationality and instructing her to arrive at the Wagah Border on Dec. 16 to ensure her safe return.
The Indian woman expressed her joy upon returning home, where she was reunited with her family amid emotional scenes.
“I’m very happy to go [to my country],” she said in a video recorded before her departure from Karachi and later posted by Maroof on YouTube. “Tomorrow I will travel on an airplane to the border.”
However, Shaik also expressed concern for a friend, Shehnaz, who she said was trafficked to Pakistan alongside her and whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“I appeal to the Pakistani and Indian governments to help my friend just like they have helped me,” she said.
In 2022, Shaik saw her children for the first time in two decades when Maroof managed to locate them through social media and arranged a video call with her family.
During her years in Pakistan, Shaik married a Pakistani man who, she said, cared for her until his death.
She recounted that he had agreed to help her search for her family and send her to India on the condition that she promised to return to Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday called for just and inclusive political solutions to long-standing global disputes, such as Palestine and Kashmir, at the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
CICA, a 28-member forum established in 1992 and headquartered in Kazakhstan, began as a Central Asian initiative, though it now includes members from other region like the Middle East and Southeast Asia. As a founding member, Pakistan sees the platform as vital for addressing issues related to economic development and regional integration in its neighborhood.
The meeting, hosted by Azerbaijan, was addressed virtually by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who participated from Egypt, where he is attending a summit of D-8 developing nations focused on Gaza and Lebanon.
Dar highlighted Pakistan was working to promote corporation and advance peace, stability and security in Asia, though he also noted the challenges hindering the shared economic and political objectives of the member states.
“Lasting progress cannot be achieved in isolation,” he told the gathering. “Persistent challenges, including political disputes, conflicts, foreign occupations and the denial of self-determination, along with poverty and illiteracy, undermine the collective development of Asia.”
He emphasized that sustainable peace and security depended on addressing the root causes of conflicts.
“A just resolution of the Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir issues and guaranteeing their right to self-determination is key to fostering lasting peace in the region,” Dar added.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister also highlighted the importance of strengthening regional connectivity to drive economic integration and sustainable development.
He noted that initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could serve as “catalysts for regional economic cooperation and prosperity.”
“As the global economic center of gravity shifts, it is essential that we seize the moment of opportunity to ensure inclusive regional transformation,” he said, underscoring CICA’s role in fostering collaboration across Asia.
He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to CICA’s vision of advancing dialogue, mutual respect and adherence to international law to resolve disputes.
Dar urged member states to continue utilizing the platform for regional cooperation and collective progress.