'She was like mother to me': Hamid Ansari, who was arrested in Pak and later returned to India, remembers Sushma Swaraj

Hamid Nihal Ansari, an Indian national who was detained and arrested six years back in Pakistan, remembered former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who helped his return to India, passed away on Tuesday night following a cardiac arrest. After spending 6 years in a Pakistani jail, the Mumbai man Hamid Ansari was repatriated back to India in 2018.

Hamid Ansari had went to Pakistan to meet a woman he had befriended on social media. However, he was arrested in Pakistan for illegally entering the country. He returned to India in December 2018 after India's Ministry of External Affairs interfered in the matter.

Speaking on the demise of Sushma Swaraj, Hamid Ansari said, "I have deep respect for her (Sushma Swaraj) and she'll always stay alive in my heart. She was like a mother to me. After my return from Pakistan, she guided me to look ahead. It's a big loss for me."

Hamid Nehal Ansari went to Pakistan via Afghanistan after befriending a Pakistani girl whom he fell in love with. He went to Pakistan's Kohat on a fake passport and was arrested by security officials.

Hamid Ansari was detained and arrested six years back after he went to Pakistan to meet a woman he had befriended through social media. He returned to India on December 18, 2018, after completing a three-year prison sentence in a Pakistani jail. https://t.co/yDMYXeL556

— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2019

Speaking to WION earlier, Nehal's mother thanked both governments of India and Pakistan and "all those people who helped us right from the beginning who stood on our side in our time of crisis." Nehal's father, Nehal Ansari told WION, "We are very happy. no words to express our gratitude and happiness. Our thanks to all the people from the govt of India and govt of Pakistan. so many people were supportive. "

It may be noted that Hamid Nehal Ansari was released on account of relentless Indian pressure over a long period of time. 96 note verbales were issued to Pakistan seeking consular access and clarity on the charges against him, on which India received no satisfactory response. 

Keeping in mind the fact that the Court mandated sentence was coming to an end on December 16, 2018 India had upped the ante at multiple levels in the preceding weeks, seeking to ensure Ansari's release and quick repatriation to India.

Earlier, welcoming Hamid's release, India said, "We would like Pakistan to take action to also end the misery of other Indian nationals and fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed and who have completed their sentences, but continue to languish in Pakistan jails."

His mother Fauzia got to know that he was being tried by a military court in Pakistan for illegally entering the country after she filed a habeas corpus petition.

Praising the government and then EAM Sushma Swaraj, Ansari's mother had said, "It was because of God's grace that I got very good people who helped me through these years. The government of India was very supportive; so was the media on both sides of the border. This couldn't have been possible if not for the lawyers and activists in Pakistan who worked on the case."

After his return from Pakistan in December 2018, Hamid Ansari had met the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Praising Sushma Swaraj, Ansari's mother had then said, "Mera Bharat mahaan, meri madam mahaan, sab madam ne hi kiya hai." 

#WATCH Indian National Hamid Ansari who came to India after being released from a Pakistan jail yesterday, meets External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi. His mother tells EAM "Mera Bharat mahaan, meri madam mahaan, sab madam ne hi kiya hai." pic.twitter.com/FQEzz99Ohm

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018

On his arrival at Mumbai airport from New Delhi in December 2018, Hamid said it was time to move on in life and instead of reliving old agony, he wanted to look ahead.

"I made my mistakes but I don't want to go into those things now. There are three things which if anyone keeps in mind they could escape the miserable situation in which I was trapped for six long years. Firstly, never use social media for building any personal relationships. Second, always be open and frank with your parents because they are the only people who will stand by you in the ups and downs, and third, proceeding legally for all important matters is a must as it could save one from a troublesome situation," said Hamid, while speaking to media the outside his home.

Hamid's mother Fauzia had told DNA, "The wait for Hamid was 2,232 days. The present moment is as big as Eid for us. It was hard to believe he was in prison, and now it is hard to believe he is finally home safely. After learning he was to be released, my impatience only grew. We were not granted visa for Pakistan and we hadn't spoken to him all these years. Presence of some people in Pakistan who stood for Hamid proved more beneficial than our absence."

"Hamid has paid a very heavy price. He is taking time to get over all those things he faced physically and mentally. All these years we have not attended any social gathering or family event, nor have we celebrated Eid. But now, the time has come to leave the bad phase and move towards a promising future," she said.