Police withdraw notice served on three Pakistan citizens in Kozhikode asking to leave the country

The police have withdrawn the notices earlier served on three Pakistan citizens in Kozhikode district asking them to leave the country by April 27. Police sources said the legal measures were temporarily put on hold complying with the latest instructions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Puthan Valappil Hamsa of Koyilandy, 79; Kanjiparambathu Khamarunnisa; and her sister Asma from Vadakara; were the three Pakistan citizens who received the notices from the Kozhikode Rural police recently. There were protests from various quarters citing it as an “inhuman” act considering the struggle of the three who have been staying in the State for decades on long-term visa and fighting legally to get Indian citizenship.

The police came up with the deportation measures to comply with a Union government directive issued in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. It had asked Pakistani nationals to leave the country apart, from suspending the visa services.

Citizenship plea pending

Police sources said the three persons who had been staying in the State on long-term visa were originally Kozhikode natives whose applications for Indian citizenship were pending for approval with the Union government. They also confirmed that there were no cases against them as they were found complying with all the rules and regulations for a lawful stay.

According to police sources, Puthan Valappil Hamsa was a merchant in Karachi who returned to Kerala in 2007. The other two were children of Kerala families settled in Pakistan several years ago for trade, they said, adding that the two returned to Kerala in 1993.