Express News screengrab of Ali Hassan Raza at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
LAHORE: Pakistani student Ali Hassan Raza, who was assaulted in the southern Indian state of Pondicherry earlier this week, reached Lahore on Saturday, Express News reported.
The 24-year-old was received by family and relatives upon arrival. Speaking to the media at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, he expressed delight at landing in Lahore by himself.
Raza, an international relations student, was sleeping in his hostel room when three unidentified men entered his room and attacked him with steel rods on May 13.
The attackers left when nearby students arrived to rescue him.
With injuries on his head, neck and back, Raza underwent treatment at Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) after the attack.
Raza, the first and only Pakistani at Pondicherry University had earlier emphasised that he was never discriminated on the basis of his religion or nationality during his two-year stay in India.
Following the incident, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Delhi, Abdul Basit had also spoken to Raza and his family, assuring them that steps would be taken to ensure his safe return.
The official had also disclosed that the high commission had raised the issue with the Indian External Affairs Ministry and demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.
A senior diplomat posted in New Delhi had told The Express Tribune via phone that the Pakistani High Commission had arranged Ali’s return to the country.
COMMENTS (35)
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Shame on the people,who are judging this incident on the basis of religion,its in our blood no matter how much you get litterate,you will retain the same cheap thinking.The guy is not a fool,he is smart enough,he won't stay in a place for two years if that place was hostile for him.
Well, that sucked. I'd have love to see more Indians and Paakistanis studying in each others countries. My buddies from LUMS and IBA were pretty smart cookies. You'll find our own IITs and IIMs pretty awesome. But I guess that's out of the question anytime soon, thanks to these three geniuses with their steel rods.
@Vikram "IIT" & "IIM" ?
May God bless this great son of our soil, whom even after abuse did not condemn all Indians. This is the true forgiving and merciful spirit of Muslims and Pakistani people. I am proud of being Pakistani when I hear this. Same for those Kashmiri students attacked and expelled for cheering Pakistan. May God give victory for Kashmir and Pakistan always.
Shame on all those commentators who invent theories to justify an attack on this boy or our Kashmiri brothers. God will judge all those who attack innocents.
He has a right to study where ever he feels, let it be India or Bangladesh. He took a bold step to go to India for education, if more of us do that eventually the hatred would lessen up instead of criticizing him, we should support the courage. We were living together before the partition, we can at least accept each other. Incidents like this occur all the time in India and Pakistan, if he was a local this wouldn't even make news let alone headlines, Only Bad News, is News!
Media should play a more responsible role, and we should be more open to accepting each other.
What is wrong with these people ? Why do they go to India in the first place ? Cant they find something better ? In fact, any place will be better than India... The government must stop everyone going to that country. Let this be a lesson for all those who wants to go that country.
It's happen all around the world, in USA there was lot of attack on brown people, it bad that happen to this dude but don't make a big deal because he is Pakistani in India.
@Vikram: I am sorry to enlighten you , but in medicine indian institutions are one of the best. Just find out the number of Indian doctors in USA.
@Fahad: Your hate is showing.
I have found that wherever I go the lower elements of society tend not to be pleasant, either physically or verbally, to people who are different, and this includes Western countries such as Australia. It appears quite obvious from some of the above comments that a similar situation prevails in both India and Pakistan.
My father was once beaten by Hindu students because he dared enter Lawrence gardens in pre-partition Lahore. Sadly nothing has changed since then. I hope that the younger liberal generation finally understands the reason behind our parting ways in 1947. Just today the NYtimes published an excellent article about Muslim 'persecution' in India. There really wan't any other option in 1947. Thank you Jinnah, we owe you a lot.
Glad he is back in the home country. Looking at the video, the student seems rather fine after the much pakistani media publicized 'brutal' beating with 'iron rods'. This guy must be an 'iron man' himself. In the land of pure, he has to only worry about surviving the day from cell phone thieves, sectarian killings, random shooting and being blown up by 'misguided' muslim brothers (especially the guy seems to be shia)
Anyways, this guy seems to be a really good human being, may he be happy, successful in his life. Namaste!
A truly shameful incident happening at an Indian campus which is quite rare especially in case of foreign students. Can't understand why local authorities could not assure Ali to provide full security to stay back and continue his studies in India ? Hope he goes back after making full recovery. Shame to my fellow Indians posting indecent comments as Ali was our guest who ought to have been treated with respect and dignity.
@Ozair: @Vikram: Because he was on a UN(UNESCO) scholarship program with the emphasis on promoting peace in the region through student transfer program. Through this program quite a few Indian students is also in Pakistani universities.
http://www.unfoundation.org/what-we-do/issues/united-nations/un-agencies-funds-and.html
Please accept our sincere apology for this incident, having said that please look at the positive facts that he was rescued by other students and by his own admission he was not discriminated in his two years tenure, so do not make this India vs Pakistan issue this is an isolated incident which could have been due to mistaken identity, do not pass judgements without knowing the entire truth
Not being discriminated based on religion in India is a news item?
Shows what a delusional hate filled TNT world Pakistanis live in. I grew up hearing prayer calls from Mosque every day right next door. Most Indians will share this experience. Hindus, Muslims, christians, atheists jains, sikhs all go about living peacefully.. In such a massive populous country, some thing bad every now and then happens it brings great joy to pakistanis, congratulating yourselves on TNT. Amazing (hopeless) people!
@Asfandyar Khan: Dear Khan many Pakistan nationals visit Indian in connection with health related matters and they state that they have not been discriminated it is co incidence that this happened to a Pak student otherwise such incedents take place in colleges and universities in India and Pak which is some time termed as ragging. We condemn it from the core of our hearts and feel sorry.
The very first gift from Modi ....
@vikram nice try Pakistaniyou could have said that in your true form ;) Indian 4 univ in world top hundreds http://www.educationnews.com/2013/03/07/4-indian-universities-among-the-worlds-best/
More often than not in the battle between emotion and reason,emotion wins and that's one of the biggest man made tragedies that causes so much of needless human suffering on this crazy planet.
he was assaulted coz he would have gone booooooooooooooooooom :D
@India: If what you said is right,he shouldnt return back from India without getting justice and compensation...But I know this is not the reason..we live there and we also know what kind of person gets into this kind of trouble..He must be knowing well in advance what is coming for him..Neither Indian media nor pakistani media is trying to get deep into the whole story..Only they r stating that he was beaten up but for what??
This guy has no sign of beating. Were the iron rods made of rubber?
While this may very likely a typical brawl between youths, the victim being a Pakistani in India adds several dynamics to the story. The comments posted by Pakistani and Indian readership to this and earlier article reflects the extent of dynamics. Let us analyze the facts:
Ali was studying in India for two years and he was pretty much happy. In his own words "he never felt discriminated". Days before his leaving, a few thugs attacked him. Cause unknown, but let us assume that it was hate mongering. According to the report, fellow Indian students came to his rescue, police apprehended the culprits, Ali was treated fairly, State governor payed him a visit to avert political crisis.
There is a positive story in this incident as well. Fellow students came to his rescue when the thugs attacked him.
People on the both sides of the border should be mature enough to read the news as a news. This is a hooligan incident and such kind happens everywhere around the world everyday.
Sad to see neither the comments nor the news story grasp on the facts. Shia, Ahmedian, hindu, Hazara, Christian killing in Pakistan, and Muslim killings in Gujarat and Christian killings in Orissa and Indian killing in Australia, and Sikh killing in US because they were assumed to be Muslims are hate crimes.
This incident is clearly not. Read the victims own statement again.
All of you take a chill pill and enjoy the day.
Better they should've killed him. Why on earth would someone go to india for studies being a pakistani even if its free. I prefer going to uganda than india.
@asfandyar khan. He himself sed he was never discriminated on basis of religion and country for 2 years. This was hooligan incident happening since a month with other students being attacked. A naked man entering woman's hostel then this incident with ali. The students have been complaint since a month the currupt administration didn't bother its only when a student attacked turned out to be pakistani the administration woke up to students plea of harassment from unidentified men harassing students on campus.
Didn't you want a separate country for you guys then why are you keep coming to ours for education, jobs and health care?
As an Indian i don't understand why anybody would want to study here, i mean our universities aren't even that good, if i had the money i would study in the west.
@India: why don't you disclose it?
News about this gentleman, Meera, Veena and Altaf Bhia's Passport are the signs that someone is stopping this newspaper to discuss real issues.
But still he is not disclosing about reason behind brawl..
Glad he is back safely.
Why he was studying in a country who are hostile towards Pakistan and now seeing and facing trouble by themselves bust their propaganda lies of Aman ki asha.
Why was he studying there in the first place? Couldn't he find a better place on this world than India?