An Indian national who is deaf and mute swept into Pakistan’s Kasur district via the flood waters of the Sutlej River.
During the ongoing monsoon rains in South Asia, a deaf and mute man, suspected to be an Indian national, was swept away by floodwaters from the Sutlej River into Pakistan. This incident occurred earlier this week and was reported by Pakistani police and rescue officials. The Indus Waters Treaty, established in 1960 between Pakistan and India and brokered by the World Bank, grants India control over the waters of the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers, while Pakistan controls the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers.
Due to heavy monsoon rains this month, India had to release a significant amount of floodwater into Pakistan, leading to flash floods and landslides in both countries. The rescued man, believed to be in his 50s, faced communication challenges as he was unable to hear or speak. After being rescued on Tuesday, he received medical care at a hospital in Kasur district before being sent to a center run by the Edhi Foundation in Lahore, Pakistan’s largest welfare organization.
Officials are uncertain of the man’s identity and nationality, but pictures of him were widely shared on social media. He used sign language to indicate that he followed the Hindu faith, and Hindi words were found tattooed on his right hand. The Edhi Foundation spokesperson confirmed that the man was being taken care of at their center in Lahore and urged people from both countries to help identify him so that the repatriation process could begin.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar case in 2015 when a young deaf and mute Indian woman named Geeta was mistakenly stranded in Pakistan but later reunited with her family in India after twelve years, during which she was under the care of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan.
In Geeta’s story Indian Bollywood has made a super-hit film Bajrangi Bhaijan, starring Salman Khan.
