India suspended visas to Pakistani nationals in the aftermath of the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons were killed
The Week News, May 02, 2025 : The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the deportation of a six-member family to Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The Court directed Union government authorities to not take any coercive action against the family until their documents are verified.
The family of six allegedly overstayed their visas and they were taken to the Wagah border for deportation. Hearing the matter, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh directed Central government authorities to verify the documents they possessed. The petitioners claimed they possessed Indian passports and Aadhar cards.
The bench directed authorities to verify all documents at the earliest. The apex court also allowed the petitioners to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court if they were dissatisfied with the decision of authorities. “In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, authorities may not take coercive action till an appropriate decision is taken. If petitioners are dissatisfied by final decision, they can approach J&K and Ladakh High Court. Order not to be treated as precedent,” Live Law reported quoting the bench.
As per the petition, the family members of Ahmed Tarek Butt, claimed they were detained and taken to the Wagah border for deportation to Pakistan despite having valid Indian documents. They are facing deportation to Pakistan following diplomatic measures announced by the Centre in the aftermath of the killings of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
India announced a series of diplomatic measures against Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack. India suspended visas for Pakistani nationals, suspended the Indus water treaty, closed the Attari border and declared defence advisors and their support staff at the Pakistan Embassy in Delhi as Persona Non Grata.
The Supreme Court, on Friday, came to the rescue of six members of a family who allegedly overstayed their visa by directing the authorities not to take any coercive action till an order on verification of their identity document is done.
The top court was hearing a petition from Ahmed Tarek Butt and his five family members, who alleged they were detained and transported to the Wagah border for deportation to Pakistan, despite possessing valid Indian identity documents.
The family, led by Ahmed Tarek Butt, a Bengaluru-based professional, faced expulsion following allegations of overstaying their visas—a charge compounded by the tense aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
The attack had inflamed diplomatic relations, prompting India to revoke visas for Pakistani nationals.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh acknowledged the human angle in the case and gave the family the liberty to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in case they are aggrieved by the document verification order.
The petitioner claimed to hold Indian passports and Aadhaar cards, leading the Supreme Court to order authorities to verify all documents presented in court.
The petitioner argued that the notice unfoundedly alleged he and his family illegally entered India in 1997 and were required to leave upon visa expiration, based on the assumption they were Pakistani nationals.
This interim relief was a lifeline, sparing them from being forcibly escorted to the Wagah border, where 786 Pakistani nationals had already crossed in the past six days.
The plea stated that they lived in Mirpur, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), until 1997 before moving to Srinagar. He completed his schooling in Srinagar before shifting to Bengaluru in 2009 for higher studies.
According to the plea, “On April 29, the Jammu and Kashmir Police allegedly detained the petitioner’s father, mother, sister, and brother around 9 pm. The following day, by approximately 12:20 pm, they were taken to the India-Pakistan border and compelled to leave the country.”
The petition also stated that the Foreigners’ Regional Officer (FRO) erroneously alleged the family entered India in 1997 on Pakistani visas and were obligated to depart after their visas expired. The petitioner refuted this, asserting they were never Pakistani nationals and had not entered India on any visa.
