Patna: A 62-year-old Patna resident, Nusrat Firoz, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for permission to remain in India after decades of living in Pakistan following her marriage.
Nusrat, who was born and raised in Patna, moved to Karachi in 1992 after marrying Firoz Akhtar, a Pakistani national. Her marriage had been arranged due to her family’s poor financial condition. In Karachi, her husband worked at a private telecom company and offered tuition classes to support their family. The couple had two sons and a daughter.
Tragedy struck in 2012 when her husband died of a heart attack, leaving the family without financial security. Struggling to survive, Nusrat accepted an invitation from her brothers to return to India, where they provided her with support. Settling back in Patna, she arranged her daughter’s marriage and helped her children pursue education and small jobs.
Since her return, Nusrat has periodically extended her visa. However, after the Pulwama terrorist attack and the Indian government’s directive for Pakistani nationals to leave, she has grown increasingly anxious about her future.
In an emotional appeal, Nusrat said she has no property or family left in Pakistan and wishes to spend the rest of her life — and ultimately be buried — in the land of her birth.
