6 Punjabis return home; others in Iraq safe, Sushma tells Badal

Parkash Singh Badal said that Sushma Swaraj had informed him over phone that all the Punjabis in Iraq were safe.

Families and relatives of men stranded in Iraq, offering prayers at a Gurudwara in Amritsar on Saturday. (Source: PTI)

Six Punjabis hailing from Gurdaspur district, who were stranded in strife-torn Iraq, have returned home safely.

Jaswant Singh, a resident of Balewal village, Shamsher Singh of Sallo Chahal village, Satnam Singh of Natt village, Parhlad Singh of Aliwal village, Surinder Ram of Puranshala village, and Major Singh of Thikriwal near Qadian, all in Gurdaspur district, returned to their homes safely last night.

They travelled to their homes in Gurdaspur district after landing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

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It was an emotional time when Jaswant Singh reached his home amidst tears rolling down his face as his elder brother had died of heart attack a few days back after learning about the strife in Iraq.

He told reporters that after the recent strife in Iraq, his company neither paid him the salary nor his dues and only
provided him with a return air-ticket to India.

According to Jaswant’s family, he had gone to Iraq two years back and was working as a labourer in a company. He was stranded with other Indians after ISIS fighters took over the area where he was living.

Talking to the mediapersons during his ‘Sangat Darshan’ programme in Lambi assembly segment in Muktsar district, Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that Sushma Swaraj had informed him over phone in the morning that all the Punjabis
in Iraq were safe.

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He said that his government was constantly in touch with the Centre to ensure the safe and prompt return of all Punjabis stranded in Iraq.

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