Odisha govt begins process for deportation of Pak nationals staying in state

Bhubaneswar, April 25 (IANS) The Odisha government has reportedly started the process for the deportation of Pakistani nationals staying in the state on Long Term Visa (LTVs).

As per reports, as many as 12 Pakistani-origin people are staying in Odisha on Long Term Visa.

Odisha Police sources claimed that notices have been served to the Pakistani nationals staying in Odisha to leave the state within 48 hours.

Speaking to mediapersons, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday said that the state home department is in touch with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and has been taking all the steps as per the instructions of the MHA.

He stated that both the Pakistani-origin people staying in the country on visas and the illegal infiltrators posing a threat to the security of India and the state should be evicted.

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government announced diplomatic measures against Pakistan over the gruesome terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asked all the Chief Ministers to identify Pakistani nationals staying in their states and take necessary steps for their deportation.

As per reports, the Home Minister spoke to all the Chief Ministers, instructing them to act against the Pakistani nationals and facilitate their return immediately.

The government on Wednesday said that the visas of all Pakistani nationals stand cancelled and they have been given time to abide by the directive by April 27.

Notably, the visa ban on Pakistani nationals comes close on the heels of a five-step diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, following despicable and deadly terror attacks in Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam, which led to the brutal killing of 26 tourists.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its official announcement, said that all valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals will be revoked starting April 27.

However, it stated that medical visas granted to Pakistani citizens will remain valid only until April 29.

A five-point action plan was taken following the CCS meet, which included suspension of the Indus water treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, declaring the defence advisors as persona non-grata and severely curtailing the mission staff on both sides.

On April 22, twenty-six people, including one Nepali national, were brutally gunned down by the heavily armed terrorists in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadows as they unleashed carnage on tourists and travellers.

--IANS

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