Pakistani journalist Zulfiqar Shah has been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for the past three months. He has been requesting the Indian Government to persuade the Pakistan High Commission to allow him to stay in Delhi and avail medical treatment.
However, Mr. Shah is dejected that the government has not issued any request to the High Commission.
Mr. Shah was allegedly persecuted by the Pakistani authorities from 2009 to 2012. Therefore, he came to India because it was a “democratic country, which respects rights of every individual”.
“As India celebrates its Republic Day, it needs to demonstrate its large-heartedness and accord me refugee status. This would enable me to stay here,” said Mr. Shah.
He was accorded a refugee status by the UN Commission on Human Rights in Pakistan. “If the Indian Government wants to keep surveillance on me I have no problem. What has shocked me is that not a single representative from the Government has visited me or replied for the past three months,” said Mr. Shah.
“AIIMS, Moolchand Hospital and the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre discontinued my treatment due to insurmountable pressure from the High Commission. I was not given treatment for five months,” said Mr. Shah. He is now being treated at Apollo Hospital.
