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The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily stopped the deportation of a Srinagar resident and his family, who have claimed that they were ordered to go to Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack despite being Indian citizens, reported Bar and Bench.
After the terrorist attack on April 22, India had ordered all Pakistani citizens in the country to leave by April 27. New Delhi also suspended visa services to Pakistani citizens with immediate effect.
At least 537 Pakistanis left India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing at the end of the deadline.
On Friday, the top court asked the Centre to verify the family’s claims and stayed coercive action, The Indian Express reported.
“Let an appropriate decision be taken at the earliest, though we are not stating any timeline,” said a bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh.
The court also clarified that their directive was based on “peculiar facts and circumstances” and should not be considered a precedent for future cases.
The petitioner, Ahmed Tariq Butt, told the court that he and his family, which includes his parents, elder sister and two younger brothers, were residents of Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir till 1997.
His father moved to Srinagar in 1997 and the rest of the family joined him in 2000, he said, adding that he and his siblings attended a private school in the city. He told the court that he has an Indian passport and an Aadhaar card.
Butt’s counsel said that only one family member had Pakistani roots as he was born there. But he surrendered his Pakistani passport long back, said the advocate.
Twenty-six persons were killed and 17 were injured in the attack near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
The attack took place in the Baisaran area of Anantnag district. Militants fired at tourists, most of whom were from outside the state. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those who died were Hindu.
Pakistan denies shutting border
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday dismissed Indian media reports claiming that it had closed the Wagah border to returning citizens, amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with New Delhi, Dawn reported.
“We are aware of the media reports indicating that some Pakistani nationals are stranded at Attari,” Dawn quoted the foreign office as saying. “We are open to receiving our citizens in case the Indian authorities allow them to cross the border from their side. The Wagah border will remain open for Pakistani citizens in the future as well.”
Islamabad claimed that “the Indian decision to revoke visas of Pakistani citizens is creating serious humanitarian challenges”.
It noted that several patients with critical health conditions were forced to return to Pakistan without completing their treatment, and also highlighted reports of families being separated, including children being split from one parent.
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This article first appeared on Scroll.in
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