Jammu, June 24(KNS): The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has directed the Union government to facilitate the return of a woman, Rakshanda Rashid, who was deported to Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.

Rashid, who had been residing in Jammu for 38 years with her husband and children, was among several Pakistani nationals deported after the Indian government suspended visa services for Pakistanis in response to the attack.

Rashid, who had been living in India under a Long Term Visa (LTV), approached the High Court in April, challenging her deportation. Her case was scheduled for hearing on April 30, the same day she was deported. In its order on June 6, the Court considered her husband’s claim that Rashid has no family in Pakistan and suffers from health issues that place her life at risk.

The Court said that human rights are fundamental and that sometimes constitutional courts must intervene on humanitarian grounds.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The Court observed that Rashid’s LTV status might not have warranted her deportation, but she was forced out of India without a proper examination of her case. As the Court had yet to hear the merits of her case, it issued an order to the Ministry of Home Affairs to bring Rashid back to India.

The High Court’s order stated that given the exceptional nature of the case, it was necessary for the Indian government to reunite Rashid with her husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, in Jammu. The order must be implemented within 10 days, and the case will be heard again on July 1 for a compliance report.

Advocate Himani Khajuria represented the petitioner, while Deputy Solicitor General of India Vishal Sharma appeared for the Union of India.(KNS).