MEA calls kin to meet Sushma in Delhi today

AMRITSAR: As suspense continues over the fate of 39 Indians, including 29 Punjabis, who went missing at Mosul in Iraq in June 2014 after being abducted by the Islamic State (IS), the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has contacted family members of some of them and asked them to reach Delhi on Sunday for a meeting with minister Sushma Swaraj.

Talking to HT, Gurpinder Kaur, whose brother Manjinder Singh is among the missing youths in Iraq, said, “I got a call yesterday from an official in ministry of external affairs. He said the minister wants to meet us on Sunday. I and some other families will be leaving for New Delhi today itself.”

Asked if the MEA official told her anything about her brother, Gurpinder said, “I asked him, but the officer did not reveal anything. He just said the minister wants to share some details they have got. I don’t know what those details are and will only come to know once we meet the minister.”

Gurpinder, who has met Swaraj several times in the past, said even though Mosul has been freed from IS now, they are yet to make any contact with the youths missing there.

Notably, after Iraqi forces freed the city of Mosul from the Islamic terror group, New Delhi opened various channels to trace the 39 Indian nationals.

But the families, who lost contact with the youths since June 2014, are yet to get any vital input from Iraq.

The Iraqi government had also assured all help, but there is no word on the missing Indian men so far.

As these families are going to meet the external affairs minister on Sunday, they are hopeful of some good news.

AFTER IRAQI FORCES FREED CITY OF MOSUL FROM ISLAMIC STATE TERRORISTS, NEW DELHI OPENED CHANNELS TO TRACE THE 39 INDIANS