Q&A: HAMID ANSARI
“I am Hamid Ansari and I am not a spy,” says the man who has just returned to his family and his country after six years in a Pakistani prison. Ansari says he had entered Pakistan for love, and when reality struck, he was caught in the India-Pakistan diplomatic heat. After 2,232 days in captivity, he speaks to Geeta Mohan.
Q. When did you get to know that you were being sent back to India?
I got to know about my release on Tuesday morning. I was so happy that I did not want to waste even a single moment and immediately started preparing myself—mentally as well as emotionally.
Q. What was your first reaction?
When I saw my parents waiting on the other side of the border, I asked the Pakistani authorities to complete the formalities quickly; I wanted to run to my mother. Q. Why did you enter Pakistan?
I met a girl on social media. We developed feelings for each other. She was being forced to marry someone and asked for my help. I applied for a visa at the Pakistan High Commission, but didn’t get clearance from the Ministry of Interior. One of my friends in Pakistan, who I had also met online, promised to provide me help. He guided me to enter Pakistan through Afghanistan. I entered Peshawar through Torkham. My ‘friend’ backstabbed me by giving me a fake ID card and later informing Pakistani authorities. It was a trap, with people already waiting on the other side to arrest me.
Q. How were the first three years in Pakistan?
The moment I was caught, it felt like falling inside a big ditch. I thought I’d never see my home again. I used to think of my parents, repent and pray for help.
Q. What was your experience in the prison?
It was always dark. I was taken to the washroom only once in 24 hours and that too for only a minute. I went without food for days. For 40 days in summer, I wasn’t allowed to take a bath. I was tortured in such a manner that my left retina was damaged. I would fall unconscious and even vomit blood.
Q. You have been called a spy by Pakistan.
I am not a spy. My heart took me there, my mind should’ve known better. The Pakistani authorities had nothing to prove that I was a spy. On May 12, 2015, I was produced at the Peshawar District Magistrate’s court where
I was forced to sign a false statement. But, at the end of the day, I had saviours— Qazi Anwar and Rakhshanda Naz—who fought my case and proved that this was not a case of espionage. I was convicted for three years on grounds of possessing a fake ID card. I can’t imagine taking part in any anti-state activity.
Q. Your first reaction when you entered India?
After spending 2,232 days in Pakistan, when I entered India, I bowed down and kissed my motherland and thanked God.
“My heart took me there, my mind should’ve known better”
Q. Do you wonder what has happened to the girl?
My lawyer told me she got married. This chapter of our life is closed for both of us. Now, I want to start afresh with this second chance the Almighty has given me.