Nasrullah Khan loses battle in Birmingham

LONDON: A terminally-ill Pakistani father of two died on Thursday afternoon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – two weeks after he was reunited with his family nine years after he left Pakistan for Britain.

Nasarullah Khan was brought to the hospital before Christmas but was denied life-saving transplant at the time because he didn’t have permission to live in Britain and so critically ill that doctors told him travelling to Pakistan will be unsafe for him.

His brother Fiasal Hanif told this scribe that Nasarullah Khan lost his battle while his family was around.

“It’s a huge tragedy and we are all devastated. The only consolation is that his wife and two sons were able to meet him after nine years of separation. they saw him all wired and on death bed for two weeks but at least they met him. I am thankful to British High Commissioner Thomas Drew and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for helping us. The British High Commissioner provided visa to my brother’s family and DGISPR Asif Ghafoor took personal interest and facilitated travel arrangements. We are thankful to them and everyone else who helped us,” he said.

Khan was told that he only has a few days to live. Through Geo News and this paper, he had appealed to the British High Commission in Islamabad and the DGISPR to grant visas to his family so he could meet them one last time.

He had said in his appeal: “I have no hope left but it is my last wish is to see my sons, aged 9 and 11. My family applied for their visa two weeks ago but have not yet been issued them by the British High Commission. Thomas Drew can take a look at my case and help issue visas to my family. Major General Asif Ghafoor can help me a lot if he’s made aware of my case. I know he has helped many people in genuine need.”

Nasarullah Khan suffered from heart and acute organ failure. Nasrullah has been living in the United Kingdom for nine years but entered the country on a six-month tourist visa and overstayed, doing menial jobs and not being able to regularise his status. Under the Home Office's immigration rules, only patients with “Indefinite Leave to Remain” are entitled to free medical treatment.

Faisal Hanif said that funeral prayers of Nasrullah Khan will be offered on Friday in Birmingham and the dead body will be flown to Pakistan on the weekend on a PIA flight.

“Nasrullah’s wife and two sons alongwith other family members will be flying to Pakistan for burial,” he said, adding that the burial will take place in Jhelum.