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NDTV
03-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Born To Serve J&K Police, India": Cop After High Court Stays His Pak Deportation
Jammu: "I am born to serve the Jammu and Kashmir Police and my country, India," 45-year-old policeman Iftkhar Ali said on Saturday, just days after he and his eight siblings narrowly escaped deportation to Pakistan - a fate averted only through the timely intervention of the high court. For Ali, who hails from Mendhar sub-division near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the uniform is more than a job - it's a calling. He has dedicated nearly half his life in the police force, serving its various wings with distinction and earning multiple commendations for his courage and unwavering commitment to duty. He was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and said he was confident that the country's leadership will not allow his handing over to the "enemy nation" on the "mere conspiracy" that they belong to the part of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan. The nine members of the extended family were among over two dozen people mostly from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) who were served 'Leave India' notices by the authorities in Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu districts and were taken to Punjab for deportation to Pakistan on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, Ali and his eight siblings - Mohd Shafiq (60), Nashroon Akhter (56), Akseer Akhter (54), Mohd Shakoor (52), Naseem Akhter (50), Zulfqar Ali (49), Koser Parveen (47) and Shazia Tabasum (42) -- were brought back to their village in Poonch after the High Court of J&K and Ladakh admitted their petition claiming that they were not Pakistani nationals and have been living in Salwah village for generations and stayed their deportation. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead, the Centre announced a slew of measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic relations with Islamabad, and ordering all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face action. "We have a centuries-old history of being the bona fide residents of Salwah with both our parents and other ancestors were buried in the notice (on April 26 by Deputy Commissioner, Poonch) came as a shocker to our family comprising more than 200 members, including some serving in the Army," Ali told PTI. Ali lives with his wife and three children, all aged between six and 11 years. In the midst of the situation, he said they decided to approach the high court and are grateful to the judiciary for giving them respite. "(The) petitioners are not asked or forced to leave UT of Jammu & Kashmir. This direction is, however, subject to objections from the other side," Justice Rahul Bharti said in an order on Tuesday after hearing the plea of Ali, who is currently posted at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. The court directed the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch to come forward with furnishing of an affidavit with respect to the status of property holding if any by the petitioners and set May 20 as the next date of hearing of the case. "We have a land holding of nearly five hectares with another two hectares illegally usurped by my maternal uncle with whom we are having a long dispute. The deportation notice is the outcome of that very dispute because they do not want to return our land," Ali claimed. According to officials, Ali's father Faqur Din and mother Fatima Bi spent a long time at a camp in Tralkhal after they crossed over to PoK during the 1965 war. The couple and their nine children returned to their village in 1983. After a long struggle, they were admitted as permanent residents by the J&K government between 1997 and 2000 but their nationality still remained pending with the central government, they said. "I have served all the wings in the police department over the past 27 years, which is evident from the scars on my body, and the citations and rewards which I have received from the department for shedding my sweat and blood for the country," Ali said. He said the most painful moment of his life was when he was told that he did not belong to this country. "I do not belong to Pakistan and nobody is there for me. I belong to India and this is my country. I love the police from the core of my heart and I am ready to sacrifice my life for the country," Ali said, reiterating his pledge to protect this land with every breath he takes. He also thanked his lawyers and also the sociopolitical activist Safeer Choudhary who extended his support to the family. "I also come from Mendhar and I know they have a genuine case so I came forward on humanitarian grounds to mobilise support in their favour so that they are not deported to Pakistan," Choudhary said.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- IOL News
Eastern Cape father sentenced to life for child exploitation and pornography
The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha, has delivered a harsh sentence for a father convicted of child pornography. Image: File A 56-year-old man who sexually exploited his minor daughter will serve two life terms behind bars and an additional 3 713 years imprisonment following his conviction on more than 700 counts relating to rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. The man was sentenced at the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division in Gqeberha, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali. The man was sentenced after facing an extensive compilation of counts which included rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, human trafficking, possession, production and procuring of child pornography, and exposing children and a person living with mental disability to pornography. The accused pleaded not guilty. However, he made certain admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Tyali said the offences were allegedly committed from 2015 to 2022, primarily at the accused's home in Jeffreys Bay, in which the primary complainant was his daughter. 'The primary complainant, his biological daughter, was first exposed to pornography at the age of 10. As the abuse escalated, she was subjected to repeated sexual exploitation by the accused and her adolescent half-brother. The accused not only participated in the abuse but also recorded the acts and directed them. He later distributed the content through digital platforms to unidentified third parties. 'Investigations uncovered extensive digital evidence, including thousands of images and videos stored across multiple devices. These included a cellphone, laptop, hard drives, and USB devices containing graphic material involving both known and unknown minors, some as young as toddlers. Children were depicted nude or semi-nude, engaging in sexual acts often under coercion,' said Tyali. The investigation and arrest of the Jeffrey's Bay father were prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. Image: File According to court details, the exploitation was not limited to the primary complainant; other children in the household were also groomed and abused. In certain instances, the accused instructed his minor son to sell images and videos of the abuse to external clients. 'His arrest on 1 September 2022 in Jeffreys Bay was prompted by a report from one of the minor victims, his biological daughter, who disclosed the abuse to a relative. A broader pattern of systemic exploitation and criminal conduct within the family unit soon emerged. The accused was found to have used his authority and position of trust to manipulate and abuse the minors in his care,' said Tyali. Tyali said Senior State Advocate, Ismat Cerfontein, argued that the crimes committed were among the most severe and sustained forms of abuse the court had encountered. She emphasised the premeditated nature of the offences, the deliberate grooming of the victims, and the use of technology to document and distribute the abuse.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jammu and Kashmir cop, his 8 siblings recalled mid-deportation to Pakistan: Here's why
In a major relief to police personnel and their eight siblings, including five sisters, authorities on Wednesday suspended their deportation to Pakistan on the orders of the high court and are bringing them back from Punjab to reunite them with their families in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The siblings were shifted from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab for their deportation to Pakistan on Wednesday morning, despite the high court admitting their plea against the step and granting them temporary relief. The nine members of the extended family were among the more than two dozen people, mostly from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who were served deportation notices by authorities in Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu districts. While some of them, including Pakistani women married to Jammu and Kashmir residents, have already been deported, several others are still waiting at the Attari and Wagah borders, officials said, adding that the Pakistani nationals, many of whom were living in the Jammu region for decades, were taken in buses to Punjab for their deportation over the past two days. In the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead, the Centre announced a slew of measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic relations with Islamabad and ordering all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face action. The police personnel, Ifthkar Ali (45), and his eight siblings, including five sisters aged between 42 and 56 years, got a respite when the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh admitted their petition claiming that they are not Pakistani nationals and have been living in Salwah village for generations. "(The) petitioners be not asked or forced to leave the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This direction is, however, subject to objections from the other side," Justice Rahul Bharti said in an order after hearing the plea of Ali, who has served in the police department for the last 27 years and is currently posted at the Katra base camp of the Vaishno Devi shrine. Admitting their petition, supported by revenue records to prima facie establish that they are bona fide residents of Poonch district, the judge asked government lawyers to submit a detailed report within two weeks and listed the case for the next hearing on May 20. The court also directed the Poonch deputy commissioner to furnish an affidavit with respect to the status of property holding, if any, by the petitioners. However, the nine siblings were taken from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district to Punjab, where they stayed overnight for their subsequent deportation to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border. "The deportation of Ali and his siblings was put on hold on the court's orders. The authorities have released them and they are being brought back from Punjab," socio-political activist Safeer Choudhary told PTI. Earlier in the day, Choudhary said, "We received the copy of the court order on Wednesday morning and immediately took up the matter with the Poonch district administration.... To our surprise, neither civil nor police officers are taking the responsibility to implement the court order." Choudhary, along with their relatives, including the wife and two minor children of Ali, staged a protest outside the Press Club here and appealed for the intervention of the home minister and lieutenant governor to provide "justice to the family". "They are residents of Poonch, with Ali serving the police department for nearly three decades. Ali's father went to Pok in 1965 but returned in 1983 and is buried in his ancestral graveyard. They have more than 175 kanals of land according to revenue records and also possess all the documents," he said. Emotional scenes were witnessed at their house in Mendhar, with their spouses and children making passionate appeals to the government to stop their deportation. "We have no relatives in Pakistan. Where will they stay there?" Mohammad Farooq asked. Ali's wife said her husband was born in Mendhar, and it is a grave injustice to him and his children if their father is deported to a country that he does not belong to. "What will my children do without their father?" she asked, adding, "We regret the loss of innocent lives in terror attacks but do not take revenge on us as we have done no wrong. In fact, my husband is part of the police force that is fighting against terrorism." Similar heart-wrenching scenes unfolded in Rajouri district, where two aged sisters -- Zameer Fatima and Sageer Fatima -- were among the four people taken to Punjab for deportation. The sisters, who were hardly able to walk on their own, have been living with their families in the Sharda Sharief area for 43 years. They raised their families after getting married to two cousin brothers. "This is nothing short of mourning in our family. They are frail and afflicted with various ailments and who is there to take care of them?" Fareed Hussain asked, requesting the government with "folded hands" to spare them from deportation. Sageer Fatima said, "I returned to Rajouri in 1983 along with my mother and sister. My mother died here. My children and grandchildren are all here and it is grave injustice to separate me from them."
