Children Forced to Say Goodbye to Their Mother at Border

Dubela, Riddhi Biswas: At a checkpoint heavy with silence and sorrow, 11-year-old Zainab held her little sister’s hand tightly, knowing they would soon cross into Pakistan without their mother beside them. What was meant to be a family trip to Delhi, filled with love and memories, ended in heartbreak and tears.
After the Pahalgam terror attack triggered a government crackdown, children like Zainab and Zenish, both Pakistani nationals, were ordered to return across the border. Their mothers, who hold Indian passports, were not allowed to leave.
“My heart is broken,” Zainab whispered, trying to stay brave. “I asked her to come with us, but she said she couldn’t.” Other children cried into their parents’ arms. Fathers like Mohammad Irfan stood helpless, forced to watch as rules and politics tore their families apart. “How do you explain to a child that papers matter more than people?” he asked, his voice breaking.
Amid government retaliations, the human cost became painfully clear—children torn away from their mothers, left hoping that someone, somewhere, will hear their cries.