After living in Pakistan as an undocumented immigrant for 18 years, 65-year-old Sri Lankan woman Rashina is finally set to return home to her children in Colombo, thanks to the combined efforts of the Edhi Foundation, Saylani Welfare Trust, and human rights lawyer Zia Ahmed Awan.
At a press conference held at the Edhi headquarters in Meethadar on Friday, Rashina, visibly emotional, expressed her gratitude.
“I’m a poor woman. The government of Pakistan had imposed a fine of Rs. 2.2 million on me for overstaying. I couldn’t even afford a ticket back to Sri Lanka, let alone pay this heavy fine. But God is great, He sent me help through these people who made it possible for me, a destitute widow, to reunite with my orphaned children,” she said.
Rashina shared her story, explaining that she is a Sri Lankan-born Muslim who initially worked as a telephone operator at a travel agency in Kuwait. It was there that she met Javed Iqbal from Mian Channu, Punjab, and they later married.
The couple moved to Saudi Arabia, where they lived for 15 years and had three children: two daughters, Mumtaz and Aneesha, and a son, Mohammed Rafay.
When her husband lost his job in Saudi Arabia, he was deported to Pakistan, while Rashina returned to Sri Lanka with their children.
Later, she came to Pakistan on a visit visa to see her husband, but his family did not accept her. She relocated to Karachi and lived in a small rented space. Her visa eventually expired, and after her husband passed away in 2007 from liver failure, Rashina had no means to return to her children due to the hefty fine imposed for overstaying.
Homeless and struggling, Rashina turned to Saylani Welfare Trust for meals. There, volunteer Anis Abdul Hafeez offered her a place to stay with his family in Surjani Town. When she fell ill, Saylani chief Arif Lakhani arranged for her heart bypass surgery and covered her medical expenses.
Despite these efforts, legal obstacles prevented her from leaving Pakistan, prompting her to stage protests outside the Karachi Press Club.
Faisal Edhi explained that journalists brought Rashina’s case to the attention of his son, Saad Edhi, who then contacted their legal counsel, Advocate Zia Ahmed Awan. The team approached the Ministry of Interior, but progress was slow.
Hope arrived when the Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court intervened, ordering the Interior Secretary to appear. Subsequently, Rashina’s fine was waived, and she was allowed to leave Pakistan within 15 days.
With her Sri Lankan passport renewed by Arif Lakhani, a one-way ticket to Colombo was purchased, and Rashina is now set to fly home from Karachi on December 2.
“You are all welcome to Colombo. You will stay with me there. My children and I will be happy to have you,” Rashina told Edhi, Awan, Lakhani, Hafeez, and the attending media.
Faisal Edhi and Advocate Awan also called on the government to reconsider fines imposed on immigrants unable to pay, stressing that financial hurdles should not prevent people from returning to their home countries.
“When they want to go home, we should make it possible without unnecessary obstacles,” Edhi said.