New Delhi/Islamabad: Briefing reporters, ministry of external affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said the return of Geeta, the hearing- and speech-impaired Indian woman living in Pakistan, is not dependent on whether or not we discover her parents.
“She is a daughter of India. It is our duty to bring her back to India very, very shortly,” Mr Swarup said.
“If the DNA testing verifies that they are indeed her parents, then she will be handed over to them. If not, we have identified two institutions, one in Delhi and one in Indore, which are meant for people with certain disabilities. We believe that Geeta will find a very good and welcoming home there... The procedure to bring her back is almost complete,” the MEA spokesperson added.
Pakistani officials in Islamabad said Geeta has identified her father, step-mother and siblings from a photograph sent to her by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. According to some reports, the family lives in Bihar.
The MEA spokesperson also said two members of the Edhi Foundation, which has been taking care of Geeta, will accompany her to India. She was reportedly just seven years old when the Pakistan Rangers found her 15 years ago.
