Bandipora: Aliza Begum, a 42-year-old housewife, never imagined that a single government notice would obliterate the life she had built over 12 years in Kashmir, separating her from everything she loved: her family and her home. 

When the head of her village came to deliver the notice on 28 August 2025, Aliza, from Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), thought it was a joke. 

She had four days to leave her village, Nadihal in Bandipora, 60 km north of Srinagar, or face a prison term of three years, a fine of Rs 300,000 or both.

Two days earlier, terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination at the centre of the valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government blamed Pakistan and has since suspended a water treaty, closing the main Attari border in Punjab, banning Pakistani nationals from travelling to Indian, and expelling those in India. 

Aliza married Rafiq Ahmad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and came to Kashmir with the former Kashmiri militant through a 2010 rehabilitation policy for militants who crossed to PoK between 1989 and 2009 but had given up the insurgency and wanted to return with their families. 

In 2017, FirstPost reported that  377 former militants returned under the policy, along with 864 family members via Nepal and Bangladesh since 2010, as per the government. 

The policy was instituted by then and current Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after it was cleared by the Union Government, run by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress Party.

Ahmad, 47, said that he had left his life of militancy behind a decade ago and built a modest life with her in their village. They had opened a shop where they sold milk and raised three children.

“We’ve built our lives here, settled down,” Aliza said at her home in Bandipora. “My husband opened a shop and I’ve been helping him. We started a new life, leaving the past behind.”

“It’s been a week since we received the notice to leave, and I haven’t slept since,” she said. “For the government, separating a mother from her child might be easy, but for a mother, it’s nothing short of living in hell. I have three children.”

“Punish those responsible for the Pahalgam attack that killed 28 tourists, but don’t separate us,” Ahmad said. “We left everything behind. We’re living a peaceful life now, having let go of all that violence.”

“This feels like a living funeral. Who can bear such pain?” he said.

According to media reports, 60 Pakistani women who had married former Kashmiri terrorists were deported to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab following the Pahalgam attack. 

Abdul Waheed Bhat, an 80-year-old man who was suffering from paralysis, fell critically ill and died on the bus during the deportation process at the Attari-Wagah border on 30 May. 

These women, picked up from Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, Budgam, and Shopian districts, were escorted in buses to Punjab for handover to Pakistani authorities. 

The attack on 22 April was the deadliest since a deadly terrorist attack in the central district of Pulwama, claiming the lives of 40 security personnel in February 2019.

Many observers said (here and here) the Pulwama attack catapulted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a stunning victory in the 2019 general election. 

Three months after that, the Modi government rescinded Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status and demoted India’s only Muslim-majority state to a union territory, bringing it under the direct control of the central government. Modi said this would bring peace, investment, and economic prosperity to the conflict-ridden region.

The first election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 was held last year, with the National Conference (NC) winning and Abdullah becoming the chief minister. 

‘We Don't Want To Go Anywhere’

Living in a single-room shed, Zahida Begum, 39, is a Pakistani national, married to a former militant, Bashir Ahmad Najar of Gundpora Rampora, Bandipora, 54 km north of Srinagar. 

Zahida received the government notice on 25 April. 

"I have an Aadhaar card, a ration card, an election card, a domicile certificate,” she said, speaking at her home. “My husband works as a labourer. We have lived a simple life. We want peace. We don't want to go anywhere.”

Zahida, who has lived in Kashmir for 13 years,  said that she had cast her votes three times in India. 

"Whenever they need our votes, political leaders come to our doors, but this time no leader is [amplifying] our voices,” said Zahida.

“When we moved here in 2010, I left everything behind, knowing deep down that I might never return,” she said. “Back then, I had both my parents with me, though my mother passed away a few years ago. Now, where do I go?”

“We bought a piece of land through hard labour, working as daily wage earners,” she said. “We had dreams of building a home, but those dreams may never come true.” 

Zahida has three children—two daughters and a son. Her eldest, 16-year-old Marium, would be deported back with her. 

Najar, her husband, said that Zahida has been battling cancer for the past year. 

"We have three children, and poverty has already devastated us,” said Najar. “We are struggling to take care of ourselves, and now, another disaster has struck.”

Najar’s 16-year-old daughter, Marium, said she won’t leave her father and her siblings behind. 

"We have friends and relatives here. We grew up here. So, where will we go now? Who knows us in Pakistan?" she said. “Why is there so much separation? What have we done to anyone?”

In a phone conversation on May 2, Aliza and Zahida stated that they had not received any further notice from the government. 

“Since the first notice, we haven’t received any fresh notice so far. We’ve already said that we were living a peaceful life here, so there’s no need to deport us — the government should reconsider," Zahida said.

“Why Are We The Ones…” 

Speaking over the phone on 30 April, Ghulam Masood, 40, a resident of Baramulla district, who works as a labourer, expressed his deep distress over the recent deportation of his wife, Parween Akhtar, a Pakistani national.

Masood said that on the night of 28 April, police personnel entered their home and informed them that his wife and daughter-in-law were to return to Pakistan. 

"If the terrorists from Pakistan are responsible, they should be punished,” he said. “Why are we the ones who are being made to suffer?”

Man Challenges Wife’s Deportation

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on 29 April sought a response from the Union of India and the J&K government after a paramilitary trooper challenged the deportation of his Pakistani wife. 

Munir Ahmed’s wife’s short-term visa expired on 22 March 2025.

The union government stopped issuing visas for Pakistani nationals following the Pahalgam attack.

The couple approached the court, seeking a long-term visa for the wife. The court was informed that their marriage was solemnised online, but the marriage certificate showed a physical address in Jammu, raising doubts about the validity of the marriage. 

The court noted that this issue required the attention of the central government.

Justice Rahul Bharti ordered the authorities to file a response within 10 days and scheduled the matter for further hearing on 14 May. 

The court clarified that the wife's status and deportation would be contingent upon the outcome of the case and any decision by the Government of India regarding her long-term visa.

However, his wife, Minal Khan, a resident of the Gharota area in Jammu, was sent back to Attari Border without waiting for the court's decision.

‘Against The Principles Of Humanity’

The decision to expel the Pakistani women has drawn criticism.

Chief minister Abdullah in a post on X, said, “After the Pahalgam terror attack, there must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origin. People of Kashmir have come out openly against terrorism and the murder of innocent people, they did this freely & spontaneously. It’s time to build on this support and avoid any misplaced action that alienates people. Punish the guilty, show them no mercy but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage.”

His father and NC leader Farooq Abdullah said, "It goes against the principles of humanity.”

“They have lived here for 25 to 70 years without causing harm to India. They have accepted India,” said Farooq Abdullah. “The consequences of this decision will not be good.”

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti called for compassion, noting that many women had lived in India for decades.

 “The recent government directive to deport all Pakistani nationals from India has raised serious humanitarian concerns, particularly in Jammu & Kashmir,” Mufti wrote on ‘X.

“Many affected are women who came to India 30–40 years ago, married Indian citizens, raised families, and have long been part of our society,” she wrote.

“Deporting individuals who have lived peacefully in India for decades would not only be inhumane but would inflict deep emotional and physical distress on families who now know no other home,” she wrote.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the women had settled peacefully and built lives with their families. 

Speaking on the phone from the Punjab border, Shafeeqa, a relative of Mehmoona, a 55-year-old woman from Jammu who was deported on 28 April, said,  “She crossed over years ago, but in every way, she was one of us.” 

‘We Are Numb’

A government official told Article 14 that 11 Pakistani nationals were deported from the Mendhar subdivision in Poonch District on April 28. 

These individuals had entered India 45 years ago on valid visas and had since made homes in the Gold village of Mendhar, he said.

"They have lived with us for years," said Ahmed Khan, a villager,  speaking over the phone. "We have built bonds, memories, and friendships. To suddenly force them to leave is a violation of basic humanity.”

The entire village of Gold stood in solemn silence, many with tears in their eyes. Neighbours, friends, and families gathered in the streets, watching helplessly as the convoy moved. 

"We are numb," said Zahid Hussain, a villager, speaking over the phone. 

 “Seeing them leave like this, after so many years together, is unimaginable,” said Yasmin Begum. “Women and children stood by the roadside, whispering their goodbyes and offering parting gifts.” 

"It feels like we are losing a part of ourselves," said Yasmin.

For these families, the uncertainty persists: where will they go if they are deported? There are no answers for Aliza, Zahida, and the others. Many have not visited Pakistan in years, and their relatives are scattered throughout the region.

“We have no one there,” said Zahida. “Kashmir is our home now.  Where will we go if we’re sent back?” 

(Tauseef Ahmad is a Kashmir-based freelance journalist who has written for several news organisations including New International, Al-Jazeera, TRT World, News Decoder, Article 14, Polis Project, Fair Planet and Mongabay. He tweets @wseef_t)

(Sajid Raina is a Kashmir-based freelance journalist who has written for several news organisations including The News International, Article 14, TRT World, Diplomat, Fair Planet and Polis Project. He tweets @SajidRaina1)