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The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala has 63 properties of Pakistan nationals
There are 63 properties in Kerala belonging to Pakistan nationals that have been categorised as enemy properties. These properties are chiefly spread across Malappuram (37), Kozhikode (20), and Kannur (six). As the word suggests, enemy properties are assets owned by individuals or entities that are deemed enemies of the country, particularly those who fled India during times of conflict. In Kerala, the assets are mainly of those who moved to Pakistan or were trapped in Pakistan during partition as well as the post-Independence period, says P.H. Kurian, former Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue. As per the law, the Enemy Property Act, 1968 allows the government to take control of these properties or dispose them of, he says. According to the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home, enemy properties are sold through e-auction by carrying out valuation of such property by a committee under the aegis of the district magistrate concerned, where the property is situated. E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, who took up the issue in Parliament says these properties mainly belong to two categories of people. Those who migrated to Karachi for business and job purposes akin to the migration to the erstwhile Bombay and those who voluntarily migrated to Pakistan during partition. P.T. Kunju Muhammed, who handled the subject in his film Paradesi, says the condition of those who migrated to Pakistan either for job purposes or during partition was pathetic. 'I had met many children of such people during my stay in the Gulf, and the majority of them admitted that their forefathers had committed a big mistake. Though they are treated as traitors, a good number of them went to Karachi for running teashops, beedi works and the betel leaves trade, etc.,' he says. There was also an outfit called Malabar Muslim Jamaat in Pakistan for the welfare of Keralites trapped in that country. Not only Karachi, there were people who migrated to Dhaka as well as these were the bustling cities during that period, says Mr. Muhammed. Compared to such enemy properties in northern India, the number of such properties in Kerala is much lower, says Mr. Basheer. Now, the Centre has taken several steps to fast-track the monetisation of enemy properties. According to a notification issued last year, all district magistrates should act as ex officio deputy custodians of these properties. Also, as part of auctioning these properties, the pre-bid earnest money deposit has been reduced from 10% to 5% to attract bidders, and the payment period of the sale value increased to 120 days from 21 days.
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Most Pakistan nationals in UP on short-term visa sent back home: Officials
Most of the Pakistani nationals staying in Uttar Pradesh on short-term visas under various categories have been sent back home following directives of the Union Ministry of Home (MHA) in the wake of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, officials said. Forty-nine of the 50 Pakistani nationals who were in the state on short-term visas were deported after the Uttar Pradesh Police and the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Lucknow, completed the process of identifying them. 'Except for one Pakistani national, who is scheduled to return to the country on April 30, the rest have been sent back,' an official said. Nearly 1,000 Pakistani nationals are currently residing in UP on long-term visa (LTV), and so far, no instructions have been issued to send them back to their country, he added. The Pakistani nationals who were deported were staying across various districts of the state, including state capital Lucknow and Noida, officials said, adding that some of them had come to visit their close relatives, it is learnt. None of them were found to have come to the state on medical visa, sources said. One of the deportees, a woman visiting her maternal home in Bareilly district, had lost her passport and the district administration facilitated her return by issuing an emergency certificate. Once the identification process was completed, the police chiefs of the respective districts where these Pakistani nationals were residing were informed, officials said. 'The district police chiefs issued notices to the Pakistani nationals staying on short-term visas, after which they made their own arrangements to leave for the Indo-Pakistan border. No government staff, including police personnel, were assigned to escort them to the border,' said an official. Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar has issued directives to all senior police officials, calling for heightened vigilance across the state in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. He stressed the need for action on several key points, given the possibility of 'certain anti-social or mischievous elements' trying to disturb public order by using social media platforms.
