Missing Woman Reunited With Her Family After 22 Years, Credit Goes To YouTube

Hamida Bano, an Indian woman who had been living in Pakistan for the last 22 years, returned to her homeland on Monday via the Wagah Border in Lahore. Bano, originally from Mumbai, had been brought to Pakistan in 2002 under false pretenses by a travel agent who promised her a job in Dubai but instead trafficked her to Hyderabad, Pakistan. She was finally reunited with her family in India after her grandson discovered her in a YouTube video that went viral nearly 18 months ago.

Bano returned to India through Wagah Border after traveling by air from Karachi. She was flown out of India by the Ministry of External Affairs, and government officials accompanied her in sending her off. Bano said she was overjoyed to finally return home, admitting that she had lost all hope of ever returning to India but felt lucky to be able to see this day.

Her case was brought to light in 2022 when Pakistani social media activist Waliullah Maroof shared her story of suffering in a YouTube video. The video that revealed how Bano was taken for a ride by an agent from Pakistan finally reached her family back in India where her grandson spotted it. This led to a reunion facilitated by journalists Khalfan Shaikh and Maroof, who assisted in helping organize a video call between Bano and her family in India.

Bano, who used to send money to her children from India after the death of her husband, had previously been working as a cook in the Gulf countries. Before reaching Pakistan, she had been cheated by someone. In Pakistan, Bano married a Pakistani man from Karachi, but unfortunately, he died due to COVID-19. So Bano was living with her stepson.

Due to the sensitive relationship between India and Pakistan, both governments conducted thorough checks on Bano’s identity, and her Indian nationality was officially confirmed in October 2023. Reflecting on her experience, Bano shared with BBC Punjabi, “My video was shared two years ago. I was not sure if I would reach India. But the Indian embassy called me one year ago, saying you can go back.”

Hamida Bano is a heartwarming return through resilience and the power of technology in reconnecting the separated families.

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