Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha Begin Deporting Pakistani Nationals After Govt’s Advisory
Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, several states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, and Odisha, have initiated the deportation of Pakistani nationals residing on short-term visas, acting on a directive from the Centre. Following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, lost their lives, the Ministry of External Affairs announced the revocation of all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals effective April 27, while medical visas would remain valid until April 29.
Delhi Government Sets Deadline For Pakistani Nationals To Exit Capital
The Delhi Government has set a deadline from April 26 to April 29, 2025, for Pakistani nationals whose visas have been suspended to exit the national capital. In line with the Government of India’s decision to revoke existing visas—except for Long Term Visas (LTVs) and Diplomatic and Official Visas—Delhi’s Home Minister Ashish Sood has urged citizens to assist law enforcement in identifying any Pakistani nationals overstaying in Delhi.
Delhi’s Home Minister Ashish Sood expressed concerns over the security risks posed by the illegal overstays of Pakistani nationals in the capital and called upon residents to cooperate with law enforcement in identifying such individuals. The Home Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi has directed the Delhi Police to work in coordination with other relevant agencies to identify and deport those overstaying in the capital.
55 Pakistani Nationals Living In Maharashtra Asked To Leave India By April 27
According to news agency PTI, as many as 55 Pakistani nationals living in Maharashtra have been asked to leave India by April 27. An official from the Maharashtra Home Department stated that 18 Pakistani nationals are residing in Nagpur, 19 in Thane, 12 in Jalgaon, and three in Pune, while Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, and Raigad have one each. Police commissioners and superintendents have been instructed to ensure their exit by the deadline.
CM Devendra Fadnavis at a Pune event vowed legal action against Pakistani nationals overstaying in Maharashtra.
Authorities in Nashik confirmed the presence of six Pakistani women in the city but stated they had not yet received official communication regarding their deportation. “The commissionerate has not received any written instruction from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) till late Friday night,” an official said. Nashik District Collector Jalaj Sharma added, “The administration is on alert. Though we have not received an authorised copy of the order yet, we have started collecting the necessary information.”
According to Maharashtra government data, 5,037 Pakistani nationals reside in the state, with 107 untraceable and 34 living illegally, news agency IANS reported. The highest number is in Nagpur (2,458), followed by Thane (1,106), Jalgaon (393), Pimpri-Chinchwad (290), and Navi Mumbai (239). Authorities are enhancing efforts to trace and regulate the status of these individuals amid security concerns.
Jalgaon Superintendent of Police Maheshwar Reddy told IANS, "The documents they submitted are undergoing verification at different levels as part of the LTV application process. Recently, it was found that seven of them had not applied for LTV. Yesterday, I issued notices to them. Today, all seven individuals have submitted their LTV applications..."
Karnataka Home Minister Says State 'Initiated' Deportation Process; Students Also Asked To Leave
In Karnataka, Home Minister G. Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru, as quoted by IANS, “The authorities are in the process of identifying Pakistani nationals. We have sensitised all officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP). All senior officers and responsible authorities in each range have been briefed.” He further stated, “The Central government sent an advisory to the state on Friday in this regard. As per the advisory, we are initiating action. It seems they (the Central government) have provided exemptions for people holding long-term visas.”
“For those on tourist visas and a certain category of visas, we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that they are sent back. The authorities are already asking identified Pakistani nationals to leave immediately. We are acting according to the directions of the Centre,” Parameshwara said. He confirmed that Pakistani students in Karnataka would also be required to leave, noting that the Centre’s advisory had not mentioned any exemption for them. “It is an ongoing process,” he added.
Kalaburagi's Commissioner of Police, Sharanappa SD, confirmed the deportation of six Pakistani nationals from the town.
He said, "There are 9 Pakistan nationals who were staying in Gulbarga city, and out of 9, two are staying with long-term visas, which are exempt as per the recent guidelines. So out of the remaining seven, one has already travelled to the United States by taking legal permission and the remaining six have been directed to leave the country as per the recent directions of the Government of India. And we are monitoring the moment."
208 Pakistani Nationals In Telangana
The Telangana government ordered all Pakistani nationals currently residing in the state to return to their home country by April 27. According to a statement issued by the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP), there are currently 208 Pakistani nationals in the state, most of whom are residing in Hyderabad, as per a report on The Hindustan Times. Of these, 156 individuals are holders of Long Term Visas (LTV), typically granted to those married to Indian citizens or with familial ties in India. The remaining include 12 on short-term visas and 39 on medical or business visas.
Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary On Deportation Drive
Meanwhile, in Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced that the state government would identify and deport Pakistani nationals. Speaking to India Today, he said, “We are continuously working under the directions of the Central Government. We will identify Pakistani nationals living in Bihar and send them back. Under all circumstances, Pakistani citizens must return.”
Commenting on the opposition’s candle marches, Choudhary emphasised unity over politics, stating, “Everyone must stay united for the country. Politics will only happen if the nation survives.”
The Bihar government, according to a state government statement, has directed all relevant officers to ensure that no Pakistani citizen stays beyond the Centre’s deadline. The statement mentioned that 14 categories of visas — including business, conference, visitor, and pilgrim — have been revoked. Patna Police noted that all Pakistanis staying in the city are women, with 24 residing on long-term visas. Three women have surrendered their passports to seek Indian citizenship, and one Pakistani woman is undergoing trial in Patna, PTI reported.
12 Pakistani Nationals Identified In Odisha For Deportation
Similarly, Odisha has also begun the process of deporting Pakistani nationals. According to a top police official cited by PTI, 12 Pakistani nationals have been identified across various districts in the state. Director General of Police YB Khurania said that superintendents of police had been directed to ensure their deportation within 48 hours of receiving the notices. He confirmed that the directive applied to individuals with both valid and expired visas.
A senior officer in Odisha said, “Our Chief Minister has assured full cooperation to the Centre in this regard, and the state Home Department has initiated steps to implement the order.”
In a related development, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan stated that action would soon be taken against Bangladeshi infiltrators as well, with 3,738 such individuals identified across the state.
The Centre’s sweeping visa revocation and deportation move follows the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, including one from Odisha, and has led to stringent enforcement across states after Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally called chief ministers, urging compliance.
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