Indian High Commission in Islamabad. A burqa-clad woman runs towards the main building of the High Commission while screaming. She is stopped by security personnel and threatens to commit suicide while standing there. Who is this woman? A suicide bomber? What is her motive? The security guards of the High Commission were in a precarious situation at the time. This was on May 7, 2017.

On that day, the staff and officers of the Indian Embassy witnessed an unprecedented crisis, an unprecedented situation. After 18 days, the burqa-clad woman told a press conference about her experience, saying that Pakistan is a death trap. It is easy to enter there, almost impossible to exit. She was able to say all these things because she had returned to India by then.

Scene from the film The Diplomat

Many of you may remember that woman, Uzma Ahmed. Uzma is a resident of Uttar Pradesh. While traveling in Malaysia, Uzma befriended a Pakistani citizen. From there, love blossomed. She went to Pakistan with Tahir to marry that friend, Tahir Ali. However, a nightmare awaited Uzma there. She found out that Tahir was married. He was involved in the criminal world. He wanted to return to India. He couldn’t. Instead, he was beaten up and forced to sign a marriage contract. After spending 7 days in this state, Uzma left for the Indian High Commission on May 7 with a mat in her hand. Tahir was with her. Uzma had said that her family had sent 1.5 lakh rupees as a wedding gift. She had to go to the visa office of the High Commission to collect that money. Because, money cannot be sent directly from India to Pakistan. And Uzma had said that she was taking a silk mat made in Pakistan to send as a gift to her father’s house. Uzma asked Tahir to wait outside and entered the High Commission. She started screaming and crying.

She told the Indian officers that the last few days in Pakistan were like hell for her. She was brought to Pakistan on false promises. She was forced to sign a marriage contract. She was subjected to unspeakable torture. She was sold to a businessman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But there was no proof that Uzma was telling the truth. If such an incident happened in the High Commission, it was only right to convince the complainant and send her back. But, that day, Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh did not walk that path. Because he felt that the woman standing in front of him was not lying. So he decided to give her shelter in the High Commission.

The then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told JP Singh that she had to first confirm whether the woman was really Indian. If she was Indian, Delhi would go as far as possible and return her to India. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan went all-out after getting proof that Uzma was not lying. Tahir also filed a case in the Pakistan High Court claiming that his wife had been kidnapped. There were other complications in returning Uzma. But after overcoming all the complications, she was able to return home. Sushma Swaraj had spoken to Uzma on the phone several times while she was at the Indian embassy. After returning to India, Uzma hugged the Foreign Minister and cried. The whole country saw that scene. Shivam Nair’s film The Diplomat was released nationwide yesterday. John Abraham plays the role of JP Singh. This film tells the story of Uzma’s incredible homecoming eight years ago.