The Union Home Ministry (MHA) on Friday (1 August 2025) informed the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court that it had decided to give visa to Pakistani citizen Rakshanda Rashid. Pakistani citizens were expelled from the country after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. According to this decision, Pakistani citizen Rakshanda Rashid was expelled from Jammu after which the court dismissed the petition seeking permission from the woman to return to India. However, the court clarified that this order of the Ministry of Home Affairs should not be seen as any example.
Rakshanda Rashid married Indian citizen Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed in Jammu 35 years ago. They were taken out of the country by including them in the list of Pakistani citizens who had decided to send back after the Pahalgam terror attack (in which 26 people were killed).
Order of Chief Justice
A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Pali and Justice Rajneesh Oswal filed this statement in the order. The court also said that Rakshanda Rashid can pursue both of her petitions filed for Indian citizenship and long -term visa (LTV). The Nyayalaya has filed the Solicitor General’s arguments and said that once the right decision has been taken from the competent authority on the side After making up for the formalities, they will soon be released visa visa. The court dismissed Rashid’s petition seeking relief from exile, saying that naturally, the disputed interim order loses its relevance and at the same time the interim order also became invalid.
Tushar Mehta emphasized on postponing hearing
On July 22, Tushar Mehta requested the court to postpone the hearing to see if Rakshanda Rashid could be helped or not. Rakshanda’s lawyer Ankur Sharma and Himani Khajuria told the court that their clients agreed with the process. The single bench of Nyyaamurti Rahul Bharati had directed the central government on June 6 that the Central Government should be brought back.
Justice Bharti’s statement
Passing the order, Justice Bharti said, ‘This court is taking into account this background reference that the petitioner had a relevant time long -term visa (LTV), which could not appropriately hold her exile but without investigating her case in a better perspective and without taking proper orders from the concerned authorities regarding her exile, she was forced to exile. A notice of ‘Quit India’ was issued under 3 (1), 7 (1) and 2 (c) in which it was directed to leave the country by 29 April.
Rakshanda Rashid’s Supreme Court’s attitude
Rakshanda Rashid had demanded an interim stay on this order by moving the High Court, but after that he was issued a ‘exit permit’ and brought him to the Attari-Wagah border of Amritsar from where he entered Pakistan. Four children of Rashid, a resident of Pond Khatikan area of Jammu, are still living in Jammu and Kashmir. The day came to Jammu on visitor visa. Later she was allowed to stay in India on a long -term visa to be renewed every year. During his stay, he told that he had married an Indian citizen.
Husband expressed happiness over the decision of the court
According to the court, “It is not disputed that his LTV was valid till 13 January 2025 and he applied for its expansion on January 4, 2025, but no detail was given.” Her husband expressed happiness over the court’s decision and said that we are feeling relieved. The whole family was under stress. We were upset due to that decision of the government (exile of Rakshanda).
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