Pahalgam fallout: 42 years on, Srinagar woman faces deportation
Attari: Shaheen Talat, 62, a resident of Srinagar, faced deportation to Pakistan after living in India for 42 years. Born in Srinagar, she married to a person in Pakistan, got divorced, and returned to India in 1982 on a short-term visa and rebuilt her life.
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However, following the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, a letter from Srinagar's Foreigners Registration Office branded her stay in India since 1982 "illegal", demanding her exit. "I am being sent back after living here for 42 years," she rued.
The Foreigners Registration Office, Srinagar, in a letter handed over to Shaheen, stated: "You entered India in the year 1982. You were under an obligation to exit India immediately after the expiry of your visa, which you failed to do and continued your stay in India in contravention of the law.
Your continued stay in India is illegal since 1982 and without any justification, which entitles legal action against you, together with deportation from India."
As the deadline for the citizens of both India and Pakistan to return to their respective countries ended on Tuesday, there was a rush at the Integrated Check Post in Attari, where Pakistani nationals were seen standing in long queues to complete the necessary formalities and cross the border before the end of the deadline.
Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the status of the Pakistani nationals who arrived in India on short-term visas and have applied for long-term visas (LTVs). There were rumours that the ministry of home affairs (MHA) had authorised extensions for those awaiting LTV approval.
Sources, however, said no official confirmation had been issued by the govt, leaving many in a limbo.
Maqbool Ahmad, a Qadian-based social activist, argued that Pakistani nationals with pending LTV applications should be allowed to remain in India.
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He cited precedents where Pakistanis holding LTVs and travelling to Pakistan on 'No Objection to Return to India (NORI)' certificates, were permitted to re-enter India.
"If those on NORI certificates can return, those with LTV applications in process should also be allowed to stay," Ahmad argued.
Adding to the uncertainty, Maqbool said the whereabouts of Maria Bibi, a Pakistani national married to Sonu Masih of Gurdaspur, remain unknown since April 26, 2025.
Maria is carrying a six-month pregnancy and was last seen with her husband at a Gurdaspur hospital. Her LTV application is reportedly under process.
The couple's disappearance has raised concerns among local activists.
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