Pakistani minor children pray for High Court protection from coercive action, deportation

Mysuru: A woman from Mysuru, who had married a Pakistani national, was unable to cross the India-Pakistan border at Wagah, Amritsar, due to diplomatic restrictions. She has now returned to Mysuru.

Ramsha Jahan, a resident of Rajivnagar in Mysuru, married Muhammad Farooq, a Pakistani citizen from Zuetta, Balochistan, ten years ago. The couple has three children — Bibi Yamina (8), Muhammad Mudassir (4) and Muhammad Yousuf (3) — all born in Pakistan and granted Pakistani citizenship. The family had come to India to attend a wedding scheduled for May 12.

Despite living in Pakistan for over a decade, Ramsha was denied Pakistani citizenship due to her Indian origin. She and her children entered India on Jan. 4, 2025, with valid visas, which were later extended from Feb. 17 to June 18, 2025. However, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Union Government directed all Pakistani nationals to leave India by April 30, 2025.

Before her travel, Ramsha had secured an exit permit from the Udayagiri Police Station. On Apr. 28, Ramsha and her children reached the Attari border, but were unable to cross as Pakistan agreed to take the three children as they were Pakistani citizens, but refused entry to Ramsha Jahan as she was an Indian citizen.

Cold response from husband

Ramsha pleaded with officials to let her return to her husband’s home, but her request was denied. She and her children waited at the border for two days in vain. She even contacted her husband, Muhammad Farooq, for help, but he did not respond positively.

Unable to cross into Pakistan, Ramsha returned to her family home in Rajivnagar with the assistance of Indian immigration authorities.

She has now applied for a Pakistani visa at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru to reunite with her husband. She also submitted a representation to the Mysuru Police Commissioner, seeking an extension of their visas on humanitarian grounds.

Udayagiri Police Inspector Sudhakar confirmed to Star of Mysore that although Ramsha had obtained an exit permit, diplomatic hurdles prevented her from entering Pakistan.

Petition in High Court

Meanwhile, Ramsha’s three minor children have approached the Karnataka High Court seeking an extension of their visas on humanitarian grounds. Represented by their mother, the children reiterated that they were in India to attend their maternal aunt’s wedding on May 12.

Vacation Judge Justice M.G. Uma has issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Karnataka Government and the Mysuru city Commissioner of Police, who also serves as the jurisdictional Foreigners Registration Officer. The respondents have been asked to file their objections by the                                                                                    next hearing date on Thursday, May 8.

In their petition, the children stated that their earlier representation to the Mysuru Police Commissioner on Apr. 29 went unheeded, leaving them with no option but to approach                                                   the High Court.

“Fearing coercive action by authorities and having no alternative legal remedy, the petitioners have approached this Court seeking a direction not to initiate any forceful steps against them for 15 days,” the plea reads. The children have expressed their intent to return to Pakistan by May 15, 2025, after attending the wedding.