Over 1,000 Pakistani nationals in Maharashtra have been directed to leave, following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Similar actions are taken in UP, Goa, and Uttarakhand.
Over 1,000 Pakistani nationals residing in Maharashtra have been directed to leave the state, the state government confirmed on Wednesday.
In a similar move, authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Uttarakhand have also issued exit notices to Pakistani nationals on short-term visas. This action follows increased scrutiny of foreign nationals after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam earlier this week.
Officials in these states have also indicated that those on long-term visas are under observation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah contacted the chief ministers of all states on Friday and instructed them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the stipulated deadline.
In Punjab, 75 Pakistani nationals have returned to their country, while 335 Indian nationals have come back from Pakistan.
Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam stated on Saturday that 5,000 Pakistani nationals are living in the state, including 1,000 on short-term visas who have been asked to leave the country as per the Centre’s directives.
Some have been residing in India for 8-10 years, some are married, and some have surrendered their Pakistani passports and applied for Indian citizenship, he said.
According to his estimate, there could be 4,000 long-term visas, including 1,000 SAARC visas, for those who have come to the state for film work, medical reasons, journalism, or personal matters, Kadam said.
Those with short-term visas have been asked to leave by April 27, while those with medical visas have been given two additional days, Kadam said.
In Maharashtra, 55 Pakistani nationals on short-term visas have been asked to leave by the Central government’s deadline of April 27, a state home department official said. There are 18 Pakistani nationals on short-term visas in Nagpur, 19 in Thane, 12 in Jalgaon, and three in Pune, while Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, and Raigad have one each.
Uttar Pradesh
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are overseeing the departure of those on short-term visas, while monitoring those with long-term visas.
Prayagraj Police Commissioner Tarun Gauba said four Pakistani nationals were on short-term visas in Prayagraj district.
While one Pakistani woman left on Friday, three Pakistani women will leave on Saturday, he said.
Gauba mentioned that these individuals had come for brief periods, including one for medical treatment, and assured that the local intelligence unit is closely monitoring the situation.
Similarly, authorities in Muzaffarnagar and Bulandshahr also reported that Pakistani nationals are leaving.
However, there are still 26 Pakistani nationals in Muzaffarnagar on long-term visas.
Azamgarh, Baghpat, Bhadohi, and Shahjahanpur districts also have Pakistani citizens with long-term visas who are currently exempted from leaving. Meanwhile, police in Amroha and Moradabad said no Pakistani nationals are residing in their districts.
Meerut and Mainpuri authorities said no Pakistani nationals are living in their districts on short-term visas.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand Police on Friday said two of the three Pakistani citizens living in different districts on short-term visas have been sent back.
According to a press release, the process of sending back the third one is underway.
Twenty-six people, most of them tourists, were killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday.
Following this, the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to allow normal Pakistan visa holders to return to Pakistan by April 27 and medical visa holders by April 29.
State police said about 250 Pakistani citizens are living in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Nainital districts, out of which 247 are on long-term visas and three are on short-term visas.
Most of the Pakistani citizens who came to India on long-term visas are Hindus, according to the release.
Goa
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said three Pakistani nationals on short-term visas in the state have been asked to leave by the central government’s deadline.
At a press conference in Porvorim, he said, Three Pakistani nationals on short-term visas have been asked to leave the country.