Tue Apr 29 16:33:10 UTC 2025: ## India Deporting Pakistani Nationals Sparks Outcry in Kashmir

**Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir –** The repatriation of Pakistani nationals, including women married to Indian citizens, from Jammu and Kashmir has sparked widespread condemnation and concern. Following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued directives leading to the deportation of at least 11 individuals from the Jammu division and an unknown number from Kashmir.

The move has ignited outrage, particularly due to the impact on over 150 women who relocated to the valley under a 2010 rehabilitation program for former militants. These women, many married to Indian men and with children, now face separation from their families and deportation to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where some have no remaining family or connections.

One such case is Minal Khan, who recently married a CRPF officer and was asked to leave after her visa expired. Another is Shazia Aslam, whose husband Muhammad Aslam returned to Kashmir in 2010 under the rehabilitation policy. He now fears for his family’s future, as Shazia lacks the necessary documentation to remain in India.

Political leaders across the spectrum have criticized the government’s decision. Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party and M.Y. Tarigami of the CPI(M) have called for a more humanitarian approach, emphasizing the decades-long integration of many of these women into Indian society. They argue that the deportations are inhumane and inflict deep emotional distress on families.

Legal experts point to a 1971 J&K High Court ruling that prohibits repatriation in such cases, classifying the movement as travel between parts of India. The lack of a uniform standard and questions regarding the Constitutional and legal basis of the exercise have left the future of many families in limbo, with some already detained by authorities. Calls for a policy review are growing amidst concerns that the government is failing to differentiate between security threats and peaceful residents.

Read More