New Delhi: In a major relief for a Bengaluru resident and his family, the Supreme Court stayed their deportation to Pakistan. Notably, they were ordered to leave India after the Central government announced a series of diplomatic restrictions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Ahmed Tariq Butt had approached the top court against the government's order asking them to leave for Pakistan. Butt claimed that he and his family members had Indian passports and an Aadhaar card. Butt reportedly works in a tech company in Bengaluru.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh asked the authorities to verify the identity of Butt and his family. The court also said that no coercive action would be taken against the petitioner. It also added that this decision should not be treated as a precedent.
The bench then disposed of the writ petition. As per a report by Live Law, the top court also granted liberty to the petition to approach the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh if he is not satisfied by the central authorities' final decision.
Advocate Nanda Kishore appeared for the petitions. Butt reportedly came to India in 1997 with his father from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. His father surrendered his Pakistani passport at the border. Three years later, his other family members also came to India, reported NDTV. He reportedly studied management from IIM Kozhikode.
Justice Kant expressed displeasure as this information was not revealed in the petition. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta stated that the petitioners should approach the concerned authorities first to get their claims verified, reported Live Law. After which the SC bench directed the petitioners to approach the authorities. The bench also stated that apart from the human element, all the facts need to be verified.
Butt's father hails from PoK's Mirpur and mother belongs to Srinagar, reported India Today.
Notably, after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, the Narendra Modi government issued a series of directions, including deporting all Pakistani nationals staying in India.
Meanwhile, on Friday, India extended the deadline for Pakistani nationals to return home after Islamabad delayed processing their entry at the Wagah-Attari border. Originally set for April 30, the new indefinite deadline comes as a humanitarian gesture following requests from stranded Pakistani citizens.
