SRINAGAR: Nearly 18 months after his deportation to Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, a Rajouri youth—who lost his mother in 2013—awaits reunion with his father as HC of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has sought an update on steps taken by the Centre to facilitate his return.
A bench of Justice Rahul Bharti on Wednesday sought the latest status from the District Magistrate, Rajouri, regarding compliance of its earlier judgement directing the Union Home Ministry to consider retrieving Aasim Sajjad from Pakistan. The court has fixed the next hearing in the case on November 2.
In its March 25 judgement, HC judge Justice M A Chowdhary directed the MHA to consider retrieving the petitioner’s son from Pakistan. The court had also directed the ministry to consider granting Indian citizenship to the youth under Section 5(1)(d) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Sajjad Ahmed, a resident of Rajnagar village in Budhal of J&K’s Rajouri, had travelled to Pakistan on a valid passport in December 2005 to meet relatives there. He married Shabnam Kouser in Gujranwala, Pakistan, on December 11, 2005, and their son, Fardin Sajjad, was born there on October 26, 2006.
The mother and child arrived in India in October 2007 on valid Pakistani documents. They were subsequently granted extensions. On June 5, 2013, Shabnam died in Rajouri due to illness. Sajjad continued seeking visa extensions for his son and moved several applications seeking either Indian citizenship or a visa extension.
However, on April 29, 2025, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, policemen took Fardin from his father’s house and deported him to Pakistan.
HC seeks updates
A bench of Justice Rahul Bharti on Wednesday sought the latest status from the District Magistrate, Rajouri, regarding compliance of its earlier judgement directing the MHA to consider retrieving Aasim Sajjad from Pakistan. The court has fixed the next hearing on November 2.