Mashal cannot appear for the all-India pre-medical test — the entrance examination for admission in undergraduate medical course — because of her status as a foreigner. Express photo Mashal cannot appear for the all-India pre-medical test — the entrance examination for admission in undergraduate medical course — because of her status as a foreigner. Express photo

Nineteen-year-old Mashal Maheshwari, who moved to Jaipur from Hyderabad in Pakistan’s Sindh province two years ago, has been offered a medical seat in Karnataka after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s intervention.

Mashal, whose both parents are doctors, had scored 91 per cent marks in her CBSE Class XII examination this year. However, she was not allowed to appear for the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) as only NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) are allowed to take the examination, while she and her family are here on a long-term visa. After knowing Mashal’s story, Swaraj reached out to her and assured her that she would help her realise her dream.

Read | In Jaipur, a Pakistani girl faces big test: How to take medical exam

“Mashal — Don’t be disappointed my child. I will personally take up your case for admission in a Medical College,” Swaraj had tweeted on Sunday.

On Monday, Swaraj had again tweeted, “Mashal — I am watching you on CNN News. Please contact me on Telephone : 011-23794344. I am waiting for your call.” Subsequently, in a telephonic conversation, Swaraj sought Mashal’s certificates over email and offered her a seat in Karnataka.

Talking to mediapersons, Mashal said that the minister, “assured” her and offered her a seat in Karnataka.

However, she said her parents are reluctant to send her to Karnataka.

“My parents are reluctant to send me there because the language and the region are completely new. It took us two years to completely adjust to this environment in Rajasthan,” she said.

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