Process to identify Pakistani nationals on: Parameshwara

The Karnataka government has started the process of identifying Pakistani nationals who are illegally residing in the state, and inform the Union home ministry about it, state home minister G Parameshwara said on Friday.

“The central government has instructed Pakistani nationals to leave India following the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. Action will be taken against Pakistani nationals if they are illegally residing in the state. The work of detecting sleeper cells is also underway. If sleeper cells are found, we will inform the NIA (National Investigation Agency),” he said.

The development took place after Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday called up the chief ministers of states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country. India on Thursday announced revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest, as tensions between the two countries escalated over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on Tuesday.

Speaking to media on Friday, Parameshwara said, “The central government has taken this decision in the interest of national security. The Centre may take further tough decisions.”

On Friday, Shah held a meeting with the state government functionaries asking them to identify Pakistanis and start the process of their deportation. The government has cancelled visas of all Pakistani nationals, except the Hindus, many of whom are on long-term visas.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said, “This is not a matter of playing politics. I will not blame anyone or talk about the decisions taken by the central government. No one should indulge in politics in connection to this matter.”

He added, “They (terrorists) came from abroad and have disturbed the peace. They should be finished off. The central government is already doing this work. We have full cooperation with the central government. I have told the district presidents to condemn the Pahalgam terrorist attack and pay tributes in all the districts of the state. The Congress strongly condemns this incident. We will provide full support to the central government to maintain the unity and peace of this country.”

Following the recent directives from the central government, the district administrations and police have launched searches across various districts, following which three Pakistani nationals, residing in Tumkur, Mysore and Uttara Kannada, have been identified, officials said.

In Tumkur district, the authorities discovered two young women and an elderly woman living in the area. All the three women are married to local men, who are residents of Tumkur. The women have been living in the district for varying lengths of time — between 10 and 20 years. They had applied for Indian citizenship nearly five to six years ago, and according to the police department, their track records do not raise any issues, they added.

The Tumkur district administration has gathered their information and warned them to leave the country within 48 hours, or else they may face legal complications, they said.

In Mysuru, police have collected information on eight Pakistani nationals, including three children. They are in the process of determining if there are other Pakistani nationals in the district, although no official records indicate their presence as of now, officials said.

Meanwhile, 13 Pakistani nationals have been identified in Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district. Many of them possess permanent visas, assuaging concerns about deportation. Numerous families in Bhatkal have marital ties to Pakistan, with 10 Pakistani women and their children having settled there after marrying local residents. These women have been renewing their long-term visas every two years and have also applied for Indian citizenship, though they are yet to receive approval from the central government. As a result, they are currently choosing to remain in Bhatkal, staying in contact with the district police, officials added.

“We have the list of Pakistani nationals staying in district, we will ensure they leave the country as per orders of the government direction,” said Uttara Kannada district SP M Narayana. Police already visited them and instructed to leave. We have kept a watch on them,” he added.

Additionally, Belgaum Rural SP Guled has reported that six Pakistani nationals are residing in Belgaum district. “These individuals have settled in the area with long-term visas many years ago, and are currently under police surveillance. The government is yet to make a decision regarding the status of those on those visas.”