NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah Friday dialled state CMs, apprising them of Centre’s decision to revoke all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani citizens across 14 categories – not including long-term visa, and diplomatic and official visa – with immediate effect and asking them to ensure that all affected Pakistanis in their jurisdiction are traced and made to leave India within the specified deadlines spanning from April 26 to 29.
“The Union home minister has personally spoken to almost all CMs, emphasising the strict time-limits set for Pakistanis on revoked visas to check their respective foreigners’ registration records to identify Pakistani citizens currently in India, trace them at their reported addresses and ensure that they are on a flight back to Pakistan or to a third country by April 26 in case of Saarc visa and April 27 in case of all other visas except medical visa, for which the deadline is April 29. They were additionally informed that no new visas will be issued to Pakistanis, barring in the two exempted categories of diplomatic & official visa and long-term visa,” home ministry told TOI.
Shah emphasised upon the CMs the need to take immediate action in case any Pakistani with revoked visas stays back in India after expiry of the deadline. This includes holding overstaying foreigner in a designated facility or a specified area until his deportation.
Union home secretary Govind Mohan Friday also took a meeting with chief secretaries and DGPs via video-conferencing to brief them on the revoked visas to Pakistanis and discuss the measures required to ensure their timely exit from India and action to be taken in the event of Pakistani visitors’ failure to comply with the deadlines.
Sources said the states have been told to retrieve the list of Pakistanis from FRRO/FRO concerned and trace them to their declared addresses or establish their exit through departure records available with the Bureau of Immigration. Hospitals and educational institutions, which are required under Immigration and Foreigners Act to furnish a list of foreigners lodged on their premises, will also be tracked for any overstaying Pakistanis, they added.
