Srinagar, Feb 02: A Pakistani woman, Syed Kubra Geelani who was married to Altaf Ahmad Rather of Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district in the year 2010 is aspiring to return Pakistan since last many years after she came to Kashmir along with her husband in 2014 under rehabilitation policy for former militants who had crossed LoC years ago.
Kubra after meeting her in-laws here in Kokernag spend some years with them but couldn’t sustain for a long as she was divorced by her husband sometime back.
The 35-year-old woman is currently facing immense hardships to survive in Kashmir. She is currently residing in Sopore with a Kashmiri family.
Kubra told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that she along with her husband Altaf Ahmad came to Kashmir under rehabilitation policy announced by Omar Abdullah led regime years ago.
She said the promises by the government in State proved ‘hoax’ as the situation they faced so far was quite contradictory to the claims made the government under rehabilitation policy. “I am a divorcee and am finding it difficult to survive in Kashmir now. I want the government of both the countries including India and Pakistan to take effective steps and facilitate our return to Pakistan,” she said.
“I was married to a Kashmiri man in the year 2010 following which we came to Kashmir in 2014 under rehabilitation policy but since then we (Pakistani Women) are facing immense hardships here,” she said, adding that she along with other Pakistani women must be allowed to return Pakistan where their families are residing.
Meanwhile, Kubra was accompanied by scores of other Pakistani women who are married to ex-militants. They staged a protest to press both the governments including India and Pakistan to ensure their return to Pakistan.
The women assembled in Srinagar’s Press Enclave and chanted slogans in favour of justice. The protesting women who were accompanied by some men also demanded India and Pakistan governments to deport them back to Pakistan.
“We were promised rehabilitation and other basic facilities but unfortunately we are being deprived of every basic facility here,” they said. They later appealed India and Pakistan governments to allow them to return to Pakistan at an earliest.
