Treatment starts for cancer girl

By Zubair Ahmed
BBC correspondent in Bombay

Huba will be treated with sophisticated gamma knife surgery

A 10-year-old Pakistani girl whose illness sparked an appeal by India's cricketers has begun treatment in a Bombay (Mumbai) hospital.

The plight of Huba Shahid, who suffers from face cancer, was brought to the attention of the touring team by her father in Lahore.

The cricketers launched an appeal with an advertisement in newspapers.

Within South Asia, only certain Indian hospitals can provide the necessary treatment for Huba.

Even former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan's famed cancer hospital was unable to help.

Overwhelmed

Three Indian hospitals answered the appeal but Huba's father chose the private Hinduja hospital in Bombay because it was the first to respond.

Mr Siddique thanked Indians for their "get well" messages

Doctors attending Huba at the hospital say she will be treated with one of the most modern technologies available.

She flew in from Lahore on Tuesday.

Her father, Chaudhry Shahid Siddique, said he was very grateful to the hospital management for offering free treatment.

He said it showed how much goodwill there was between the people of the two countries.

Mr Siddique thanked the many Indians who had sent his daughter "get well soon" messages and said he was overwhelmed by the gesture.

Mr Siddique, a sports journalist in Lahore, was also delighted with the speed the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had shown to process the visas.

"We got our visas in one hour flat," he said.

Doctors at the Hinduja hospital said they would have to battle to save Huba's life.

They were going to use a gamma knife, a rare and expensive laser surgery tool, which is said to have a high success rate.