Bhubaneswar: Uncertainty stares in the face of two women in Odisha identified as Pakistani nationals and issued notice to leave India.
The district administrations of Balangir and Balasore are awaiting direction from the state home department over their possible deportation. The move is part of a series of measures taken to counter Pakistan after the Pahalgam massacre.
Speaking to the media on Monday, DGP Y B Khurania on Monday confirmed that only one of 12 Pakistani nationals served with deportation notice has left Odisha. “We are keeping a watch on them. We are waiting for further instructions regarding those who have long-term visas (LTVs) or whose applications are under consideration,” he said.
Sharda Bai, a Pakistani Hindu woman, has been staying in India for the past 37 years. Since being issued the ‘quit-India’ notice, she has been chanting mantras, praying for divine intervention to ensure she can continue living in India.
Sharada, originally from Sukkur city in Pakistan’s Sindh province, had migrated to India along with her nine siblings on a 60-day visa in 1987 to escape forced conversion and marriage to a Muslim youth. After initial stay in Koraput, she moved to Balangir district after marrying Mahesh Kumar Kukreja, a bangles trader, at 18 in 1990. She is a mother of two — a son and a daughter — both of whom are now married.
However, she neither has a visa nor an Indian citizenship.
Sharada had earlier appealed to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister to let her stay with her husband and children.
A police officer said that this is a case of deportation, but there is still time till April 29.
In Balasore, 72-year-old Razia Sultana has defied the deportation notice, claiming that she is an Indian citizen by birth. She was asked to leave India by Sunday.
According to reports, Razia is battling kidney ailments and other health issues and has been bedridden ever since being served the notice, which also came as a shock for the family. Shaikh Sameeruddin, elder son of Razia Sultana, told news agency PTI that his mother has all valid documents proving her Indian citizenship and has never even visited Pakistan before. “She is 72 and suffering from multiple ailments — liver infection, kidney issues, and spinal problems. Issuing such a notice without proper verification has caused us serious mental stress. We request the government to cross-check and analyse what went wrong.”
Her daughter, Salma Parbin, has urged the district administration to cancel the deportation notice. She also mentioned about a scheduled hospital visit in Bhubaneswar on May 10.
Sources, however, said that her father, originally from Bihar, moved to Bangladesh and later Pakistan, where she was born in 1953. She returned to India four years later.
Balasore SP Raj Prasad also maintained that the notice was issued based on records, indicating that Razia is not an Indian citizen. He noted that she should have formally applied for citizenship given her long residency. We will inform the government and take action as per further instructions,” Balasore SP Raj Prasad added.
Also Read: Pak Woman Leaves Bhubaneswar But Exit Notice Shocks 2 Other Families In Odisha
Notably, the authorities had identified 12 citizens from the neighbouring country for repatriation and accordingly issued them notices. Nagma Yusuf, a Pakistan national who was residing at BJB Nagar area on a long-term VISA after her marriage with an Indian citizen, Mohammed Nizamuddin, in 2008, left Bhubaneswar on Sunday.