Urging India to Keep Them: PK Women Married to Ex-Terrorists
"Women married to ex-terrorists implore for execution rather than deportation to Pakistan"
In a heartfelt plea, Pakistani women married to ex-terrorists are urging the Indian government to allow them to stay in India. Zahida Begum and Nowreen, who have been living in Kashmir for over a decade, consider the region as their home. After the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, they fear being sent back to Pakistan, as per the federal government's 'Leave India' notice to Pakistani nationals in the country.
Zahida Begum has resided in Kashmir for fifteen years, while Nowreen has established a stable life in the region for long enough. The thought of returning to Pakistan is unbearable for both women in the wake of the government's directive. Their husbands abandoned militancy under the then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's policy, as reported by PTI.
Zahida Begum revealed that she has two daughters and a 10-year-old son. meanwhile, Nowreen, with similar documents like Aadhar and election cards, stated, "We came here to live a better life, not to face the same turmoil again... I don't want to leave. This is my home. I have raised my children here, and now they want to take us away from everything we’ve built."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Alyza Rafiq, another Pakistani resident of a north Kashmir district. She was asked by local police to leave the country, with questions about her youngest daughter left behind. "How can I leave my husband here. I have built a house here. We came here because of the government’s policy. What have we done? What is our fault?" she tearfully asked Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The 'Leave India' notice affects various short-term visa holders, with deadlines set for specific categories between April 26 and April 29. Defaulters who fail to comply risk arrest, prosecution, fines, or imprisonment. Around 537 Pakistani citizens have left India since April 24 through the Attari-Wagah border following these visa cancellations, spurred by the Pahalgam attack with connections to Pakistan-linked terrorists.
The current situation is affecting not only the legal status but also social and economic activities these women have built in Kashmir. The women are desperately seeking Indian citizenship, temporary travel permissions for visiting relatives in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and assurance against deportation.
In this uncertain political climate, these Pakistani women remain deeply intertwined in Kashmiri society, hoping for a resolution that preserves their lives and businesses.
- Escalating Tensions Between India and Pakistan
- Pakistani Wives of Kashmiri Terrorists Urge India to Let Them Stay
- The women married to ex-terrorists from Pakistan, currently residing in Kashmir, are anxious about the 'Leave India' notice issued by the federal government, fearing they may be deported back to Pakistan.
- Zahida Begum and Nowreen, who have lived in Kashmir for over a decade, have built stable lives and consider the region as their home, yet the thought of returning to Pakistan fills them with tears.
- The political and economic stability these Pakistani women have found in Kashmir is now at risk, and they are seeking Indian citizenship, temporary travel permissions for visiting relatives in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and assurance against deportation.
- The current climate of tension between India and Pakistan, stirred by the Pahalgam terror attack, has resulted in the revocation of visas for certain categories of Pakistani citizens, with deadlines set between April 26 and April 29.
- Defaulters risk arrest, prosecution, fines, or imprisonment if they fail to comply with the visa cancellations, and around 537 Pakistani citizens have already left India since April 24 through the Attari-Wagah border.
- Amidst the turbulence in general-news and crime-and-justice, these Pakistani women remain hopeful for a resolution that will allow them to continue their lives and businesses in Kashmir, despite the complex web of finance, economy, and politics that surrounds their plea.
