Pak man living in Goa since 2016 moves SC over visa clampdown

A Pakistani national residing in Goa since 2016 on long-term visa on Thursday moved the Supreme Court in wake of the Centre’s notification revoking the visas of Pakistani nationals following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The April 22 attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead. Following the attack, the Centre issued a notification revoking the visas granted to Pakistani nationals except for those mentioned in the communication and gave a specific timeline for their deportation.

However, those having long-term and diplomatic or official visas were exempted from the ‘Leave-India’ order.

The Pakistani national’s counsel on Thursday mentioned the matter before a Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma for urgent listing.

“This is a matter of a Pakistani national residing in Goa since 2016 on long-term visa. After the Pahalgam attack, there is a notification issued by the Government of India,” the counsel said.

“You go back (to Pakistan),” the Bench said. The counsel said the petitioner would go back but he may be heard as there was a specific condition in the long-term visa.

The top court, however, inquired with the counsel why his client hadn’t moved the jurisdictional high court.

The counsel responded saying the police came to the petitioner following which the court said the matter would be listed for hearing.

In a separate matter, the apex court on May 2 directed the authorities not to deport six members of a family to Pakistan, for allegedly overstaying their visas, till their citizenship claim was verified.