Faiza Tanveer.
Faiza Tanveer.

The Indian Embassy has rejected the medical visa application of a 25-year-old Pakistani tumour patient who was due to travel to India for treatment, citing deteriorating relations between the two countries as the reason for refusal, the patient's mother told DawnNews on Friday.

Inderprastha Dental College and Hospital (IDCH) in Ghaziabad was to provide surgical treatment to Faiza Tanveer for a recurrent ameloblastoma, a cancerous oral tumour which is aggressive in nature, according to documents acquired by DawnNews.

The hospital had invited Tanveer and her mother Parveen Akhtar to India for treatment, requesting a 20-day medical visa for the duration of their stay in the country, the documents said.

Akhtar said the pair were told by local medical professionals that chemotherapy would be challenging as the target area is a particularly sensitive one, given the close proximity to her ears, nose and eyes.

They were told that Jinnah Hospital would be able to perform chemotherapy, but Tanveer's eyeball would need to be removed for the process, which Tanveer and her mother were unwilling to opt for.

Treatment in India is cheaper than in the United States or Singapore, Akhtar said, adding that it was why they chose to apply there for treatment.

IDCH had quoted the cost of treatment to come to about $20,000, and Tanveer's classfellows had raised Rs1.6 million for the Lahori's treatment, Akhtar said, adding that they had deposited Rs1m with IDCH already.

However, due to the rejection of the visa application, Tanveer will be unable to avail treatment in India.

Akhtar said embassy officials informed her it was possible she may be able to acquire a medical visa if the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz wrote a letter to India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj regarding the matter.

She appealed to politicians in both countries to help facilitate her daughter's visa application.

Opinion

Editorial

War & deception
Updated 09 Mar, 2026

War & deception

While there is little doubt that Iran is involved in many of the retaliatory attacks, the facts raise suspicions that another player may be at work.
The witness box
09 Mar, 2026

The witness box

IT is often the fear of the courtroom and what may transpire therein that drives many victims of crime, especially...
Asylum applications
09 Mar, 2026

Asylum applications

BRITAIN’S tough immigration posture has again drawn attention to the sharp rise in asylum claims by Pakistani...
Petrol shock
Updated 08 Mar, 2026

Petrol shock

With oil markets bracing for more volatility, more price shocks are inevitable in the coming weeks.
Women’s Day
08 Mar, 2026

Women’s Day

IT is a simple truth: societies progress when women are able to shape them. Yet the struggle for equality has never...
Rescuing hockey
08 Mar, 2026

Rescuing hockey

PAKISTAN hockey is back to where it should be. Years of misses came to an end on Friday with a long-awaited...