U.P. tightens watch on Pak nat’ls with long-term visas

Surveillance has been intensified on Pakistani nationals living in Uttar Pradesh on long-term visas, as law enforcement and intelligence agencies await further instructions from the Union government regarding their status. The increased scrutiny follows a nationwide directive to cancel all Pakistani visas—except for long-term, diplomatic, and official visas—and repatriate their holders after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, said senior police officials here on Tuesday.

According to state officials, a significant number of Pakistan nationals are believed to still reside in different parts of U.P. on long-term visas. Most of them are women who married Indian men and settled in various districts of the state over the years.

A senior official from the state home department said that the government has sought clear guidelines from the Centre regarding the repatriation of such individuals. “Many of these women have started families here and have given birth to children. For such cases, we need specific instructions before proceeding with any deportation,” the official said.

District-wise reports indicate the presence of Pakistani nationals still living in several areas. In Bulandshahr, 18 individuals are on long-term visas. In Gorakhpur, five persons, including two Hindu siblings, are staying under the same visa category, according to Gorakhpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Grover. Varanasi has nine such individuals, including seven women, while one person holding a short-term visa has already been repatriated from there.

Azamgarh has reported four Pakistani women married to local residents, and Bhadohi has two similar cases. Meerut officials mentioned two special instances, one involving a pregnant Pakistani woman named Maryam and another woman named Sana, who returned from the Amritsar border amid confusion over the status of her two children.

On Monday, the state government said all eligible Pakistani nationals had been deported by April 26, except one who will be sent back on April 30.

Sources said the Pakistan nationals repatriated from U.P. include 12 from Saharanpur, nine from Agra, eight from Lucknow, six from Bulandshahr, four from Muzaffarnagar and Prayagraj, and three each from Meerut, Aligarh, Baghpat and Budaun. Two individuals each were sent back from Rampur, Amroha, and Shahjahanpur, while one person each was deported from Bareilly, Bijnor, Varanasi and Ghazipur.

“Some individuals left voluntarily while others were deported as per the visa cancellation orders. The deadline for SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) visa holders to exit the country was April 26, while the deadline for those on medical visas was extended to April 29,” said UP Police and home department officials.

The Centre’s directive covers 12 categories of visas, including visa on arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, conference, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim, and group pilgrim. While these visa holders have been asked to leave, those staying on long-term or official visas remain under close watch by local authorities.