Sushma Swaraj has adopted a sympathetic stand on granting medical visas to Pakistani nationals
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is known for accepting several requests for medical visas for Pakistani citizens through Twitter.
On Wednesday, she responded to one more such tweet asking for her help. Rabiya Shehab tweeted out to Sushma Swaraj asking for a medical visa for her father Shehab Asif, who she said needs an urgent liver transplant. Appealing to the foreign minister, Rabiya in her tweet asked Ms Swaraj to be her "
Ibn-e-Mariyam", or messiah.
Responding to the message, Sushma Swaraj wrote back saying she is not
Ibn-e-mariyam and nor can she be, before telling her that the medical visa will be granted.
Ibn-e-Mariyam means "Child of Mary" and alludes to the Messiah.
"You have quoted Mirza Ghalib 'Ibn-e-mariyam huakarekoi...'. I am not Ibn-e-mariyam, nor can I be." she wrote in her tweet. "But I do feel your pain" she added, asking Rabiya to contact the Indian High Commission in Pakistan.
In her tweet appealing to Sushma Swaraj, Rabiya Shehab had said that her father's appointment for the liver transplant is due early January. She attached the visa request letter signed by a hospital in Chennai.
Rabiya signed off her tweet saying she would remain forever grateful to the External Affairs Minister.
Sushma Swaraj also confirmed that the visas of two others from Pakistan have been approved. Thirteen-year-old Fatima Naeem and Mansoor Bhagani had both sought medical visas for treatment in India.
Ms Swaraj has adopted a sympathetic stand on granting medical visas to Pakistani nationals notwithstanding the strained ties between the two countries. On Friday, she anounced that India had granted visas to five Pakistani children for their treatment in India.