How Sushma Swaraj helped Pakistanis.
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away on Tuesday after suffering massive heart attack. She was hailed as a people's Foreign Minister for her Twitter outreach, which provided help to Indians stranded across the globe.
But alongside Indians, many Pakistanis who wanted medical visa on urgent basis were benefitted from Swaraj's Twitter diplomacy.
So, while some vile trolls in Pakistan are celebrating her death and linking it to abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, the fact remains that Sushma Swaraj was extremely friendly towards Pakistanis and provided help, wherever it was legally possible to do so.
In July 2017 though, Sushma Swaraj lashed out against Sartaj Aziz for not providing visa to Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother. However, she said that all those who have a recommendation letter from Aziz will continue to get a medical visa in India.
That tweetstorm from Sushma Swaraj was on 10th July and true to her words, India continued to provide medical visa to Pakistanis. On 27th July, a Pakistani lady tweeted about how deeply she is grateful to Sushma Swaraj for providing visa. She even wished that Sushma Swaraj was the PM of Pakistan!
1. What did the Pakistani lady say?
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The woman identifying herself as Hijaab Asif had sought intervention from Swaraj on behalf of a Pakistani national for medical treatment in India.
"The patient is in ICU, needs an urgent liver transplant. Been almost 2 months since we applied for the visa. Please help us ma'am, no doctor in Pak is ready to take him under their care. We beg you for help!," she tweeted to Swaraj.
Following this, the minister directed then Indian ambassador to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale to grant her a visa.
Overwhelmed with the prompt response from Swaraj and help from the Indian High Commission, Hijaab Asif tweeted, "Lots and Lots of Love and respect from here. Wish you were our prime minister. this country would have changed."
Lots and lost of love and respect from here. Wish you were our Prime Minister, this country would've changed!
— Hijaab asif (@Hijaab_asif) July 27, 2017
@SushmaSwaraj what do I call you? Superwoman? God? No words to describe your generosity! Love you maam Can't stop praising you in tears!
— Hijaab asif (@Hijaab_asif) July 27, 2017
"Indeed! Haven't seen a woman like her before, despite all the conflicts, she didn't stop doing the great work! Long live maam," Hijaab Asif said responding to a tweet.
Indeed! Haven't seen a woman like her before, despite all the conflicts, she didn't stop doing the great work! Long live maam @SushmaSwaraj
— Hijaab asif (@Hijaab_asif) July 27, 2017
The Pakistani national also took a jibe at then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "Our government is corrupt, we don't hate India. I've been to India and I swear I love India and the Indians. In fact, everyone here does!!," she said.
Our government is corrupt, we don't hate India. I've been to India and I swear I love India and the Indians. In fact, everyone here does!!
— Hijaab asif (@Hijaab_asif) July 27, 2017
The woman also added that Pakistan doesn't have anyone like Swaraj and nobody knows if Sartaj Aziz even exists or not.
Nobody in our government is maam @SushmaSwaraj we have #SartajAziz who nobody knows even exists or not.
— Hijaab asif (@Hijaab_asif) July 27, 2017
2. Not the only time
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Sushma Swaraj on multiple occasions extended help to Pakistanis.
in July 2017, Sushma granted a medical visa to a Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) resident Osama Ali, who was diagnosed with a tumour and wanted to come to Delhi for his treatment.
In a similar incident in June that year, Sushma granted medical visa to a four-month-old toddler from Pakistan, who then underwent successful heart surgery at Jaypee Hospital in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Shahzaib Iqbal from Lahore who wanted a medical visa for the liver transplant of his cousin also got help. He had tweeted, "After ALLAH you are our last hope.. kindly allow islamabad embassy to issue us medical visa."
In response, Swaraj had tweeted, "India will not belie your hope. We will issue the visa immediately."
3. Sushma slayed Pakistan in UNGA
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While Sushma Swaraj showed her humanitarian side while granting medical visas, she didn't stop from pulling any punches while cornering Pakistan on terrorisn in United Nation General Assembly. Sushma Swaraj repeatedly highlighted the threat of terror and how a neighbouring country is promoting it.
