SRINAGAR: A Jammu and Kashmir police officer and his eight siblings narrowly avoided deportation to Pakistan after the High Court intervened.
As per media reports, Iftkhar Ali, 45, from Mendhar in Poonch, received a ‘Leave India’ notice earlier this week, along with his family. The notice came in the wake of tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Ali has served in the JK Police for nearly 27 years. His parents had crossed into other side of LoC during the 1965 war and returned in 1983. Between 1997 and 2000, the JK government recognised them as permanent residents, but their citizenship status remained unresolved at the central level.
The High Court accepted their petition and ordered their return to Poonch, scheduling a hearing for May 20. They had been taken to Punjab for deportation but were brought back after the legal intervention. Similar notices were issued to over two dozen people in Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.
Ali, posted in Katra, thanked the court. He said he had served the police with full commitment and had received awards for his work.
Ali’s wife and three children were also affected but are now relieved after the court’s ruling. Ali said he would continue to serve and protect the country.
