Srinagar, Feb 15: Pakistani spouses of ex-Kashmiri militants on Monday once again appealed the government to either issue travel documents to them or deport them to their native country, if they are living as ‘illegal immigrants’ in India.
Addressing a press conference at Kashmir Press Club here, the Pakistani women who had crossed over to this side in 2010 under the then government’s rehabilitation policy for Kashmiri militants, said they should have been detained or deported to Pakistan same day they arrived in Kashmir.
“We are not criminals, nor do we carry weapons; we arrived here under government’s rehabilitation policy in 2010, but if government still believes we are illegal immigrants and living illegally in India, then we should be deported to Pakistan,” Toiba, a Pakistani woman said.
She said around 4000 people including 400 Pak women, 3000 children and their spouses live in Kashmir under extremely miserable circumstances ever-since they crossed over to this side in 2010.
Toiba said they have not seen their family members back home in Pakistan for the last 11 years as the government here did not issue travel documents to them.
“We too are humans; kindly don’t treat us as criminals. How would you feel if your sister or daughter is denied permission to meet their families? Most of us have been either divorced or widowed, so where do we live under such circumstances,” added Toiba.
