The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has instructed the Union Home Ministry to repatriate a 63-year-old woman who was deported to Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The woman, Rakshanda Rashid, had been residing in India for almost 40 years on a Long-Term Visa (LTV). The Court observed that the case was rare and merited immediate action.
The order, dated June 6, directs the ministry to return her within 10 days and file a compliance report on July 1. The petition was moved by her daughter, Falak Zahoor. Her husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, informed the court that Rakshanda is ill and has no one in Pakistan to look after her.
Justice Rahul Bharti, who gave the order, opined that human rights have to be preserved at all costs. The Court also challenged the legality of her deportation. The Court has apparently granted her facilitation to return on humanitarian grounds.
