Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: High Court today directed the Home Department to take a relook into the matter pertaining to stay of Pakistan lady in the Valley.
Feroza Sultana, a native of Pakistan seeking stay in the Valley as she has married to an Indian national in the year 2000 and is living in Gosse Kupwara with her family including two children for the last more than 20 years.
She has approached the Court as the authorities have asked her to apply for extension of her visa and citizenship in the State of Jharkhand as her husband is the state subject of Jharkhand and in that even she may not be allowed to continue her stay in the Valley as her visa has already expired.
Her husband Mohammad Arif Siddique is a native of Jharkhand and is presently residing on temporary basis at Kupwara and is running a bookshop there. Petitioner Sultana entered India on October 2000 on the authority of her passport.
Home Department said that since her husband is resident of Jharkhand as such decided to direct the lady to leave the J&K and apply for further extension of citizenship at Jharkhand.
Home Department states that the stay of duo (Wife and Husband) is illegal and against the law of the land as such the petition of lady seeking her stay in J&K is liable to be dismissed.
Court after this information said the facts show that the petitioner and her sons have been admittedly staying in J&K since 2000 when she entered India initially under a visitor’s visa as such directed that it is necessary for Home Department to take a relook into the matter and verify the factual situation.
Government counsel prayed for short adjournment of case so as to enable him to verify the status of the petitioner-Sultana and her family and placing it on record before the court. Court asked the counsel to do the said exercise by or before the next date of hearing in the matter.
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