Cross-Border Couple Buries Past, Pahalgam Attack Blocks Reunion
1
2
Nagpur: Separated for 15 years, Roshan in Nagpur and Poonam in Pakistan's Ghotki town in Sindh province finally decided to reunite, but the
Pahalgam terror attack
separated them again. After they reconciled differences, Poonam finally got a visa to visit India in April.
After getting a call from the Indian embassy that her visa was cleared, Poonam rushed to Islamabad, 900km away.
She reached on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack.
At the embassy, her passport, which had the visa stamp on it, was stamped again in front of her. It read, 'cancelled without prejudice,' said Roshan as he showed a picture of the passport. Poonam has lived with her son, Akshay, in Ghotki since 2010.
Her husband Roshan, also a Pakistani citizen, abandoned her a year after marriage and joined his relatives in Nagpur. Poonam was pregnant when he left. As years rolled by, Roshan continued to live on a long-term visa (LTV) in India.
"We got married in 2008, but could not get along. The daily quarrels made me leave Pakistan and come down to Nagpur. My brother and parents were already living here, and I joined them." Lately, a spiritual leader from the community in Pakistan asked them to set aside their differences and start living together.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất
IC Markets
Đăng ký
Undo
They agreed.
"Guruji asked me to join my husband in India. So, I applied for the visa for myself and my son. The cancellation only left her shocked," she told TOI, asking if she could come now. Roshan, who kept visiting her in Pakistan, said the discord continued and all efforts failed until this year when the seer convinced them to stay together. "Now I am eager to meet my wife and son," says Roshan.
In Nagpur, there are 42 such cases of separation.
Several girls married in India now cannot get a visa to enter India. "The govt should consider such cases as a special measure," says Rajesh Jhambia, secretary of Sindh-Hind Panchayat, an NGO that works with immigrants. In India, Roshan, like other LTV holders, must once again fill up details in a home ministry portal to avoid deportation. The deadline ends on July 10.
BOX BOX
Aneel Kumar is eager to leave India and return to Pakistan.
Kumar, who came to Nagpur over a year ago hoping to start life afresh, says he has no choice but to leave. "My elder brother Mahesh Kumar was diagnosed with kidney failure a few months ago. He is on dialysis, and I need to be there with him," he says. Like him, Ravi Kumar also wants to leave India and join his elderly parents. With the borders shut, they will need special permission.
Even the no-objection return to India (NORI) visas have been suspended after the Pahalgam attack. This would have allowed them to return in three months. Now, if the two leave, only a fresh visa will allow their return to India, said sources.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
12 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ghost villages on paper: 413 Telangana hamlets never officially mapped; real estate boom meets legal chaos
HYDERABAD: Even in the 21st century, Telangana continues to grapple with a colonial-era legacy-413 villages across the state have never been surveyed and mapped. What makes this more startling is that nearly 25% of these villages fall within the rapidly expanding Hyderabad metropolitan region, where land prices have skyrocketed to crores per acre. These villages, including upscale and rapidly urbanising areas such as Hafeezpet, Raidurg Paigah, Budvel, Manikonda Jagir, and Future City areas like Kandukur, Meerkhanpet and Mucherla, have no official land survey records or authenticated village maps. Of the total 413 unsurveyed villages, 58 fall in Rangareddy district and 11 in Medchal Malkajgiri, placing them at the heart of Telangana's urban expansion. According to official sources, out of Telangana's 11,894 revenue villages, several hundred were excluded from land surveys conducted during the Nizam era, primarily because they were deemed agriculturally unproductive and thus not prioritised for tax-based documentation. These unsurveyed villages are spread across the erstwhile districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak, Khammam, Nalgonda, and Mahbubnagar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here Expertinspector Click Here Undo Absence of records led to flood of litigations Post-Independence, neither the united AP govt nor Telangana state took corrective steps. Several of these areas remained unmapped or were recorded using rudimentary and often inaccurate methods. "In many villages, maps are either missing or unsigned, and critical documents like tippons and sethwars are absent or forged," said a senior revenue official. "Without these, there is no clarity on ownership or boundaries," he explained. In Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts, where land prices can exceed ₹10 crore per acre, the absence of reliable land records has led to a flood of litigations, title disputes, encroachments, and fabricated claims. In Hyderabad's northwestern corridors, particularly Kukatpally, Moosapet and Medchal, similar issues persist. Buyers and developers often enter into transactions with incomplete legal backing, risking future litigation. According to experts, land records in these unsurveyed villages often depend solely on pahanis (annual land records), which record possession but not ownership or boundaries in the absence of survey numbers. "Between 1910 and 1940, the Nizam's govt conducted only partial land surveys, mostly carried out by teams from Marathwada. In the absence of official maps and survey numbers, most farmers have relied on notional surveys while continuing to possess and cultivate these lands," explained land law expert M Sunil Kumar. Land survey expert Ch V Subba Rao said two types of land surveys were carried out in Telangana-both during the Nizam era and later. "The Theodolite survey, which uses precision instruments, was conducted in some villages and provides accurate land measurements. In other areas, a less precise method known as the 'chain survey' was used," said Subba Rao, former joint director of the survey and land records department.
India Today
13 minutes ago
- India Today
Air Force eyes smart anti-airfield weapons to strike targets over 100 km
The Indian Air Force is planning to equip its fighter jet fleet with indigenous Smart Anti Airfield Weapons (SAAW) to enhance its long-range strike to hit targets over 100 kilometres away, the SAAW missiles are expected to play a crucial role in future conflicts. The proposal to acquire the missiles will soon be taken up for discussion in the Defence Ministry, defence sources by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the SAAW is a 120 kg class precision-guided bomb capable of engaging ground-based enemy assets such as radars, bunkers, taxiways, and runways. The weapon system has been developed by DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. Its light weight and high accuracy make it a potent standoff strike system, allowing the launching aircraft to remain out of enemy air defence missiles are set to be integrated across the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet, including the Su-30 MKI and Jaguar aircraft. The acquisition gains significance against the backdrop of recent hostilities with Pakistan and China. Officials said the weapon system is similar in operational concept to those used during the Balakot air strikes on Pakistani terror proposal also comes at a time when the Indian armed forces are increasingly focused on enhancing their long-range strike capabilities. This focus was recently evident in Operation Sindoor, where standoff weapons were successfully deployed against Pakistani military and terror DRDO, which counts SAAW among its major successful projects, has also offered the missiles under the emergency procurement route to enable faster induction and boost frontline capabilities in view of potential future threats.
India.com
13 minutes ago
- India.com
India, Canada to restore High Commissioners for the 1st time since 2023 after Modi-Carney hit diplomatic reset at G7
India, Canada to restore High Commissioners for the 1st time since 2023 after Modi-Carney hit diplomatic reset at G7 India and Canada have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties and appoint new high commissioners, marking a significant thaw in strained relations following months of tension in the sideline of G7 Leaders' Summit. A statement issued by the office of the Canadian Prime Minister said that Carney and Modi reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties based upon mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'The leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries,' the statement said. The two leaders also discussed strong and historic ties between the peoples, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and significant commercial links between Canada and India – including partnerships in economic growth, supply chains, and energy transformation. Carney 'raised priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order,' the statement said adding that the leaders also discussed opportunities to deepen engagement in areas such as technology, the digital transition, food security, and critical minerals. In 2023, Canada accused the Indian government of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a leader who supported a separate Khalistan. Because of this, Canada kicked out six Indian diplomats. India then responded by kicking out six Canadian diplomats. This caused a big problem between the two countries, stopping important meetings and discussions. However, things seem to be improving. When Mark Carney became Canada's new Prime Minister in April, he met with India's Prime Minister Modi. PM Modi called their meeting 'excellent' and highlighted that both countries believe in democracy, freedom, and the rule of law . PM Modi also said he looks forward to working with PM Carney to strengthen the friendship between India and Canada. PM Carney welcomed PM Modi to the G7 meeting, saying it was a 'great honor' to have India there. He said India's involvement shows how important the country and its leadership are globally, especially in dealing with issues like energy, AI, and fighting crime and terrorism across borders. Canada is home to one of the largest Indian diasporas globally, comprising nearly 4.5 per cent of its population. This includes about 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin, nearly 770,000 of whom are Sikh and nearly one million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), including students and skilled workers. In 2022, Indian students formed the largest cohort of international students in Canada, making up 41 per cent of the total. However, recent immigration tightening has affected their opportunities and impacted Canadian universities' financial health.
