The Karnataka High Court has issued a notice to the Union Government and the State of Karnataka in response to a petition filed by three Pakistani minor children. The children, represented through their mother, approached the court seeking protection from any coercive action by the authorities until May 15, 2025. This date marks their expected return to Pakistan.
The matter was heard by a vacation bench of Justice M G Uma on May 6, 2025. The court issued notice and scheduled the matter for the next hearing on Thursday.
According to the petition, the children arrived in India in January 2025 on a valid visa, which is due to expire in June. The petitioners stated that their mother is married to a Pakistani national, and they have remained in India legally. However, due to a tragic terror attack at Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of travelers, the Central Government took immediate action.
"Following the incident, the Central Government revoked all visas granted to Pakistani nationals and directed them to return to their country by April 30, 2025," the plea mentioned.
In compliance with the government’s directive, the petitioners travelled to the Attari border on April 28, 2025, to return to Pakistan. However, the petition explains that there was no one present at the border to receive them. Further, the Pakistani authorities had reportedly closed the border, even for their own citizens. As a result, Indian immigration officials sent the children and their mother back to Mysore.
Read Also:-Karnataka High Court Quashes NDPS Case Against 67-Year-Old Man Over Backyard Cannabis Plants
After returning, the petitioners submitted a request to the Commissioner of Police and the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) in Mysore. They asked for either a long-term visa or an extension of their current visa. However, according to the petition, there has been no decision taken on their representation so far.
"Fearing coercive action by authorities and having no alternative legal remedy, the petitioners have approached this Hon’ble Court seeking a direction not to initiate any forceful steps against them for 15 days,"
the plea reads. The children wish to return to Pakistan by May 15, 2025, after attending a family wedding scheduled for May 12, 2025.
