Families approach MEA for safe return of Punjabi youth stuck in Iraq

Families of Punjabi youths, who are stuck in the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Tikrit, which has been overrun by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have urged the Indian Government for the safe and early return of their children.

The families approached the Indian high commission in Bagdad for help.

According to available input, there are about 41 Punjabi boys in Mosul in Iraq and were working there for last 10 months in a company named Tarikh Noor-ul-Huda. After the city was captured by the ISIS, the boys reportedly are under the care of ISIS.

Gurpinder Kaur, a resident of Majitha, told ANI that her brother Manjinder Singh got trapped by a travel agent who first sent him to Dubai and later left him in Iraq where he got stuck. Manjinder was among other Punjabi boys working with one of the Iraqi company which was closed after the area was captured by the ISIS warriors.

She, however, said that her brother called her yesterday and informed her that ISIS taking care of them and wanted to help them out for their retrieval back to India.

Manjinder informed her sister that the ISIS told them that they needed someone from Government of India to whom they would hand over all the Indians safely without any condition. Kaur has been in touch with the Indian embassy in Bagdad and has also sent request to the External Affairs Minister for help.

Kaur said that most of the youth there doesn't have any travel documents with them. The families of these boys have urged Sushma Swraj to intervene on the issue and do the needful to bring back the boys to India. (ANI)

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