ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir took a commendable step by taking responsibility for the care and treatment of two Pakistani children who were sent back by India following an attack in the Pahalgam area of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours escalated after gunmen attacked tourists in the Pahalgam area of occupied Kashmir on 22 April, killing 26 people and injuring 17.
India swiftly blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting any credible evidence. Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly rejected the Indian government’s baseless accusations.
The Modi government, in an inhumane move, also deported patients undergoing treatment in India back to Pakistan.
Shahid Ahmed, a resident of Hyderabad, Sindh, and the father of two children suffering from congenital heart disease, strongly condemned Prime Minister Modi’s inhumane actions.
Sharing his experience, Shahid stated that both of his children were born with serious heart conditions, and he had travelled to India seeking medical treatment for them.
“On April 21, 2025, we reached the Indian city of Faridabad for our children’s treatment. The next day, both underwent medical tests and on April 23, the doctors planned the surgery,” he said.
However, on April 24, he received a call from the Indian Foreigners Regional Registration Office, instructing them to leave India within the next 48 hours.
Strongly condemning Modi’s extremist policies and the anti-Pakistan actions of the RSS, Shahid Ahmed said, “There is no religion greater than humanity. Even Hinduism teaches compassion.”
He further shared that he had obtained an Indian visa after struggling for seven years to get his children treated.
“During the treatment, the BJP government deported us back to Pakistan — a deeply immoral and inhumane act,” he remarked.
Praising General Syed Asim Munir, he said, “I am grateful to the Army Chief for immediately arranging treatment for my children at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC). I must say that my children are being treated at AFIC beyond my expectations.”
Dr. Mehboob Sultan of AFIC said, “We currently have two children under treatment — Abdullah (9 years) and Mansa (7 years). Both suffer from congenital heart disease.”
He said that the children have holes in their hearts and underdeveloped pulmonary arteries and that their surgeries will be carried out in phases.
“The first phase of the surgery will be completed in the coming days. We treat congenital heart diseases in children at AFIC,” said Dr. Mehboob.
He said, “In my opinion, there is no need to send such children abroad, as we have already performed numerous surgeries for similar conditions.”
Brigadier Dr. Khurram Akhtar said, “AFIC is a state-of-the-art hospital under the Pakistan Army, and we treat complex heart conditions here. We have all the necessary facilities to treat children who come to us, and we perform surgeries according to international standards.”
“The two children currently under treatment are suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot, a condition that involves complications due to narrow pulmonary arteries. We will conduct their surgeries in stages, strictly following international protocols and standards,” he explained.
