Three minor Pakistani nationals born to an Indian mother and Pakistani father, approached the Karnataka High Court through their mother, with a prayer to direct the Commissioner of Police and Foreigners' Registration Officer, Mysuru city, to extend their visa or issue a long-term visa.
The three children from Mysuru — eight-year-old Bibi Yamina, four-year-old Muhammad Mudassir and three-year-old Muhammad Yousaf — were represented by their mother Ramsha Jahan. Hearing the petition by Jahan, a vacation bench of Justice MG Uma issued notice to the Union Home ministry, Government of Karnataka and Commissioner of Police, Mysuru, and adjourned further hearing to May 8.
The petitioners stated that they had entered India with their mother on a valid visa on January 4, 2025, and their visa was due to expire on June 18, 2025. Their main intention of visiting India was to attend the marriage of their maternal aunt.
However, post the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government revoked the visa granted to all Pakistani nationals and ordered them to return to their country on or before April 30, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
Accordingly, they went to the Attari border on April 28 but their father did not turn up to receive them, and since Pakistan closed its borders to its own citizens, immigration authorities sent them back to Mysuru.
"There is nobody in Pakistan to look after them, as their father is a government employee. Since the mother is an Indian citizen and the order passed by the Union government is applicable only to Pakistani nationals, the petitioners are suffering for no fault of theirs. Therefore, they gave a representation to the Commissioner of Police seeking long-term visa or extension of visa on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. But to this day, the commissioner has not made any decision on the request," counsel of the petitioners stated.
Alleging that the commissioner is forcing them to leave India forthwith, and if not, threatening to take coercive steps against them, the petitioners are apprehensive.
With no other alternative, they are knocking on the doors of the HC, seeking a writ of mandamus to the Centre and Police Commissioner of Mysuru to consider their representation dated April 29, and not to take coercive steps for 15 days, as they are returning to Pakistan on or before May 15, 2025, after attending a marriage scheduled on May 12, the petitioners prayed before the HC.
According to the petition, Ramsha Jahan's marriage was solemnised in 2015 at Pishin, in Pakistan. Despite her marriage to a Pakistani national, she has not yet applied for Pakistani citizenship, but still holds Indian citizenship, as per the report by The New Indian Express.
