The Centre has informed the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court that it has decided to grant a visitor’s visa to a 62-year-old housewife who was deported to Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack. The court said the particular case should not set a precedent in any manner.
The petitioner, Rakshanda Rashid, a Pakistani citizen married to an Indian, had been living in Jammu for the past 38 years on a long-term visa (LTV), which was annually renewed. She had applied for a citizenship in 1996 but the request is yet to be processed.
J&K High Court seeks MHA response on long-term visa status of deported Pakistan woman
After the terror attack on April 22, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled the visas of all Pakistani citizens and asked them to leave the country by April 29. Ms. Rashid was deported despite the MHA directive that Muslim women who are married to Indian citizens and who have applied for LTVs are not required to leave the country. At the time of her deportation, her LTV application was pending with the Ministry.
Solicitor-General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the MHA, informed the court on July 30 “that after much deliberations and considering the peculiarity of facts and unusual factual position in the matter, an in-principle decision is taken by the authority to grant a visitor’s visa to the respondent.”
