Bahrain-based Pak national denied visa because of his name

CHENNAI: Abdul Razzaq cursed his name as he spoke over the phone from Bahrain. The Pakistani national who is a jewellery designer based in Muharraq could not accompany his critically ill son to Chennai and be with him during his last moments since he was denied a visa to India.
Razzaq's 20-year-old son Abu Baker died of multi-organ failure at a private hospital here on Friday following a complicated heart surgery.
Razzaq said officials at the Indian embassy in Manama told him that his name was similar to that of a terror suspect and hence the ministry of home affairs did not clear his application. "I made three applications on January 5. While those of my wife and son were processed, mine wasn't," he said.
"They said my name matches with that of a terrorist. My repeated pleas to take into consideration my son's critical health went unheeded," Razzaq said.
An official at the Indian embassy in Manama told TOI that what Razzaq said "could be true". "The embassy doesn't give visas to Pakistanis directly. The applications are forwarded to the MHA," he said.
"The ministry has its own data. The contentious name might be in the database though the person may be different," he said.
The official said the embassy was aware of Razzaq's case. "He has been in regular touch with us. Our senior visa officer wrote a mail to the MHA regarding the issue but that was not answered," he added.
At the hospital, Razzaq's wife Humera Shoukat aided by former Indian National League MLA M G K Nizamudeen has been arranging for Abu's final journey to Pakistan. Shoukat, whose family shifted to Toba Tek Singh in Pakistan from Jalandhar after Partition, said her husband has borrowed a lot of money to fund their son's operation. "The hospital has pegged the bill at $16,000. Back in Bahrain, my husband's financial condition is not that sound," Humera said.
"The embassy could have handled the situation better. Politics should be placed above humanity," she said.
Humera said Baker, the youngest among seven siblings, had been battling heart conditions since his childhood. "He underwent two operations before this. The doctors said the surgery was successful but he developed breathing issues after the operation," she said.
Dr R Anto Sahayaraj who was part of the team led by Dr K M Cherian that operated upon Baker said the case was that of a "complex blue baby", a condition where an infant is born with congenital defect of the heart.