THE Home Secretary has intervened in the case of a Blackburn mother and baby who are stranded in Pakistan.

Dr John Reid has ordered his department to re-consider whether 11-month-old daughter Zulaikha Shafqat and her mother Saleena Ali, 21, can return to the UK.

The move follows a personal plea from Blackburn MP Jack Straw, who was Foreign Secretary at the time the case came to light.

Lancashire police tried to stop a plane bound for Pakistan from taking off last July after claims that Mrs Ali had been forced to leave the country with her unborn baby.

Saleena's relative in Blackburn said that she had been left stranded in Pakistan with her poorly, premature baby daughter after her husband's family took her passport to prevent her returning to the UK.

Her husband's Blackburn family denied the claim but said he would refuse to sign a new passport application, which would allow her to return to the UK, because the couple had split up.

As a result an initial application for clearance to come back to the UK was rejected by the Home Office.

Over the last nine months Saleena's brother Iftikhar Ahmed, of Woodville Road, Blackburn, has asked Mr Straw to ask Mr Reid to reverse the decision so he can look after the, He said his sister was desperate for medical care for her daughter and has no way of supporting her child.

Mrs Ali has another brother and two sisters who live in the UK.

Mr Ahmed lives in a three-bedroomed house and is self-employed.

He said: "My sister and my niece are stranded there, they are poor and Zulaikha needs medical help for her breathing difficulties.

"Saleena cries everyday and has become very depressed.

"In Pakistan being a divorced woman and a single mum is frowned upon and she is harassed and abused because of her situation.

"She has even had stones thrown at her.

"She has no way of supporting her child but if she comes back to Blackburn she can live with me and my family and we can look after her.

"Our only hope is that the Home Secretary will listen to our pleas and allow Saleena and Zulaikha to come back to the UK to live with us.

"She is dependant on us, her brothers and sisters, and should be allowed to come back to live with her siblings."

Saleena married Shafqat Ali two years ago in an arranged marriage in Pakistan and came to Blackburn to live with him and his family in Park Avenue.

Blackburn police became concerned after her sister, Hasmet Jan, who lives in London, phoned them to say her sister was being forced onto a Pakistan International Airway flight from Manchester to Islamabad.

She was with her mother-in-law, Sufdar, who then returned to the UK.

Mrs Ali is now living in Jhelum, Pakistan, with her mother and father but they are elderly and suffering from ill health so cannot support her.

In a letter to Mr Straw, Dr Reid said: "Mrs Ali's and Miss Shafqat's application was initially refused, however in light of your representations on behalf of the family and information that has been provided this case is currently being reconsidered.

"Once a decision has been made the entry clearance officer in Islamabad will be notified, who will in turn notify Mrs Ali."

Mr Straw said: "Mr Ahmed is adamant that he can support Mrs Ali financially and accommodate her and her child and will look after her and give her the quality of life she deserves.

"Bearing in mind the details of this case I have asked the entry clearance officer to review their decision and look at this case sympathetically."

Sergeant Mark Wheelan from the minorities team at Blackburn police confirmed inquiries into the case were conducted through Interpol.

He said: "We take investigations of this nature very seriously and have been working with the Commonwealth Office and Immigration services in this case.

"We will investigate all reported instances of this type and if any offenve has been committed we will loook to prosecute possible offnders."