Deported Pakistani Woman to Receive Visitor Visa, MHA Tells J&K High Court

Jammu, The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that Rakshanda Rashid, a 62-year-old Pakistani woman recently deported in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, will be granted a visitor visa.

Rashid, who had been residing in Jammu for the past 38 years after marrying a local resident, was among several Pakistani nationals affected by the Indian government’s decision to revoke visas following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. She was deported through the Attari-Wagah border checkpoint near Amritsar.

Her husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, is a prominent local political figure and chairman of the Muslim Front, Jammu. The couple’s appeal for relief prompted legal proceedings, culminating in the MHA’s assurance to the court regarding the visa.

The Pahalgam attack led to heightened security measures and diplomatic strain, prompting India to review the presence of Pakistani nationals within its borders. Rashid’s case has drawn attention due to her decades-long residence and family ties in Jammu.