Govt to issue medical visa for one-year-old Pak girl for open-heart surgery

Swaraj has been sympathetically considering medical visa applications from scores of Pakistani nationals.

New Delhi, Oct 10: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said the government will issue the medical visa to a one-year-old Pakistani girl for open-heart surgery in India.

The announcement on Twitter came hours after the child's mother made an appeal on the micro-blogging site to the minister for approval of medical visa to her daughter.

"We are giving visa for the open heart surgery of your one year old daughter Shireen Shiraz in India (sic)," Swaraj tweeted.

Earlier, Hira Shiraz, the mother, had tweeted, "Ma'am @SushmaSwaraj this is humble request to approve our pending medical visa request of my 1year daughter for her open heart surgery.(sic)"

Swaraj has been sympathetically considering medical visa applications from scores of Pakistani nationals notwithstanding strain in the relationship between the two countries over a host of issues, including cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI