**Title:** India’s Visa Cancellation Sparks Controversy Over Pakistani Nationals
**Meta Description:** India’s recent visa cancellations for Pakistanis raise questions, highlighted by the case of a Pakistani woman married to a CRPF jawan.
**URL Slug:** india-visa-cancellation-pakistani-nationals
**Headline:** Controversy Erupts Over India’s Visa Cancellations Affecting Pakistani Nationals
India’s recent decision to cancel visas for Pakistani nationals has unveiled several intriguing cases, including that of a man from the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area who has lived in India for 17 years and participated in Indian elections. Another notable case involves Minal Khan, a Pakistani woman married to a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, who has been residing in Jammu.
The CRPF is a paramilitary force engaged in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, tasked with maintaining law and order and preventing cross-border smuggling. Minal Khan’s online marriage to the CRPF jawan has raised eyebrows, particularly regarding her visa status and the duration of her stay in India.
Minal, hailing from Punjab, Pakistan, met her husband, Munir Khan, online, and they developed a close relationship. They conducted an online nikah in May 2024, as reported by PTI. After a nine-year wait for a visa, Minal arrived in India in March 2025. However, her short-term visa expired on March 22, and it remains unclear how she continued to stay in the country after that date. Following the tragic Pahalgam terror attacks in April, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including tourists, Minal received a notice to leave India.
The Indian government set a deadline of April 29 for all Pakistani nationals whose visas had been canceled to return to Pakistan. Minal initially boarded a bus designated for deportees, but her lawyer, Ankur Sharma, managed to secure a last-minute stay on her deportation order.
As reported by Greater Kashmir, Minal was en route to the Attari-Wagah border when her lawyer informed her of the court’s decision to halt her deportation. Minal’s application for a visa extension, submitted prior to the Pahalgam attack, was still pending with India’s home ministry. In her appeal to the government, she expressed a desire for families to remain together, stating, “We should be allowed to stay with the family. We condemn the barbaric killings of innocents in the attack. The perpetrators should be punished severely.”
Minal emphasized that she had adhered to all regulations, having applied for a Long Term Visa after her short-term visa expired. She lamented the separation from her husband and highlighted the plight of many families facing similar circumstances, calling it inhumane. Minal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver justice to those affected.
The stay on Minal Khan’s deportation coincided with the Indian government’s decision to allow Pakistani nationals to return to their country via the Wagah-Attari border until further notice. This directive modified an earlier order that had announced the border’s closure on April 30.
In conclusion, the situation surrounding Minal Khan and other Pakistani nationals raises significant questions about immigration policies and the complexities of cross-border relationships in the context of ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
**FAQ:**
**Q: What is the current status of Minal Khan’s visa situation?**
A: Minal Khan’s deportation has been stayed by a court, and her application for a visa extension is pending with the Indian home ministry.
