Pakistani national, staying illegally in India for 45 years, held in Bengal's Hooghly

Kolkata: West Bengal Police on Saturday arrested a Pakistani national from Hooghly district for overstaying in India for 45 years after arriving on a tourist visa in 1980, an official said.

Fatema Bibi, who had been living in Chandannagar's Kuthirmath area with her husband and children for years, had applied for citizenship several times in the past, which had not been granted, her husband Muzaffar Mallick, an Indian citizen, told reporters.

Officials said her presence came to light during routine surveillance by Chandannagar Police Commissionerate.

A police team took her into custody and deportation proceedings have been initiated, the official added.

This development comes amidst a central and state-level crackdown on Pakistani nationals overstaying in India, particularly in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 Indians were killed by terrorists.

Fatema’s daughter claimed her mother had Aadhaar and PAN cards, and insisted she had not been living in hiding.

"She was born in Nalikul, Hooghly, and had gone to Pakistan with her father as a child. She returned in 1980 and has lived here ever since. She has no relatives in Pakistan and has legally applied for citizenship several times, but faced delays due to procedural issues," she said.

Residents of the area voiced support for the government’s strict measures.

"In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the government must ensure that no Pakistani citizen is allowed to stay in India," a local said.