Karnataka High Court directs authorities to consider plea of Pakistan woman

Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court has directed the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to consider the fresh application to be filed by a Pakistani woman seeking Indian citizenship.

The court further directed the authorities to pass necessary orders on the application before the expiry of the long-term visa issued to her.

The petitioner, Nighat Yasmeen, had married Mohammed Younus, a resident of Shivajinagar in Bengaluru, in April 2009, and the couple have two children.

She had submitted applications seeking grant of Indian citizenship and approached the high court, contending that her applications have not been considered.

The petitioner submitted that since their children are Indian citizens, her case for grant of Indian citizenship should be considered favourably. It was further stated that in view of the Indo-Pak conflict, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an order on April 24, 2025, deciding to suspend all existing visas.

The government advocate submitted that the petitioner’s application could not be processed as there were four applications for citizenship, while the verification report is required to be uploaded on only one application.

On the other hand, H Shanthi Bhushan, Deputy Solicitor General of India representing the union government, submitted that if the state authorities process the application, the same would be considered in accordance with law.

The court noted that though the April 25, 2025, order indicates that visa services to Pakistan nationals will be suspended with immediate effect, it was further made clear that the order will not apply to long-term visas (FTVs), diplomatic and official visas issued to Pakistani nationals.

On April 28, 2025, another order was issued, wherein it was made clear that though an exemption had been given for long term visa holders from revocation of the visas, the Pakistani nationals would be required to apply afresh for a long-term visa on the e-FRRO portal giving various details. In the event the application not being filed by July 10, 2025, the long-term visa would stand cancelled, the order stated.

The court noted that the petitioner had applied application on e-FRRO portal on May 16, 2025, and that her application for a long-term visa has been considered and recommended for extension till April 6, 2026.

“If that be so, only the formality for the issuance of a long-term visa is pending. The said long-term visa issued to the petitioner is valid till 6.04.2026, and the petitioner cannot be deported, nor any coercive steps can be taken against the petitioner insofar as expiry of long-term visa is concerned,” Justice Suraj Govindaraj said.

The court said the petitioner could submit only one single fresh application enclosing all the details after withdrawing all pending applications, filed since 2021. The court directed the authorities to consider the fresh application to be filed by the petitioner and process it within a period of two weeks from the date of such filing.