Bhubaneswar: Indian Muslim women with families across the border seem to have been hit hard by the Indian government’s decision to revoke visas and 48-hour deadline for leaving the country in the aftermath of Pahalgam attack.
Eighteen of them married to Pakistan nationals but holding Indian passports were left stranded at the Attari-Wagah border on Friday.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani woman married to a local AC repairing workshop owner in Bhubaneswar since 2008 saw her pending country (exit permit) approved on Friday.
Her long-term visa expired in 2024. She had recently obtained a visitor visa after subsequent applications for renewal of visa were rejected. She applied for a exit permit with foreigners’ registration office of the Commissionerate Police, a few days prior to the expiry of the visitor visa in February and was pending.
Foreign nationals visiting India with tourist, employment and student visas are required to obtain an exit permit when visa expires or if they overstay visa duration. This permit is necessary to leave the country legally without facing penalties or deportation. “We found that her intention was not to overstay illegally or secretly in Bhubaneswar. On her own, she chose the legal procedure to leave the country. She will not face any legal action. Her exit permit has been approved,” a police officer told TOI.
Notably, the Odisha government has identified 12 Pakistani nationals, residing in the state on long-term visas, and asked them to leave India by April 27.
Sources indicate that a majority of these Pakistani nationals had entered India seeking citizenship. One among them is a Muslim woman, who has been living in Odisha for over a decade on an LTV after marrying a local resident. Two others are Hindus, who have applied for Indian citizenship.
The Indian government has revoked 14 categories of visas for Pakistani nationals and suspended visa services for them. The revocation decision, however, does not apply to long-term visas issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals.
Meanwhile, Odisha police have issued a state-wide alert, directing all SPs to maintain heightened vigilance against potential communal disturbances, particularly in areas with significant minority population.