Amid growing India-Pak tensions, Sushma Swaraj helps 20 Pakistani students get home safely

Amid the continuing tension that gripped India and Pakistan after the Uri attack, Sushma Swaraj’s friendly gesture towards a group of 20 Pakistani students has won the internet and was lauded by people from both countries.

On September 27, 20 students from Pakistan arrived in Chandigarh for the 11th Global Youth Peace Festival, bearing hand-written notes and friendship cards from various schools from across the country.

Unfortunately, their scheduled return on October 4 looked uncertain after the renewed tension between the two neighbours following the Indian army’s surgical strikes across the Line of Control. The girls were however provided with extra security though they came under immense pressure from home to return immediately.

It was then that Aliya Harir, leader of the contingent and convener of Indo-Pak friendship initiative titled Aaghaz-E-Dosti, reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with a plea to help the girls return to Pakistan. On her part, Swaraj assured their safe return.

Harir took to Twitter to praise the minister who had promised to help the girls.

Responding to that, Swaraj wrote a heartwarming response stating that there are no borders for daughters as they belong to all, proving that the bitterness between the countries would never come in the way of humanity.

And, ultimately, Harir tweeted this morning that the girls had indeed reached safely back to Pakistan.