BHUBANESWAR: The family of 72-year-old Razia Sultana is in shock ever since the Balasore district administration issued a notice to her to leave India and return to Pakistan on or before Sunday.
The notice came in the wake of Centre’s directive to states to identify Pakistani nationals and ensure their immediate return following the terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir.
Razia and her family members who reside at Pathan Mahala under Soro police limits insisted that there has been a grave mistake as she is an Indian citizen by birth. “I was born here. This is my soil. I will stay here and die here,” said Razia, clutching her identity documents.
Struggling with multiple illnesses, including kidney ailments, Razia’s frail health has worsened ever since the notice arrived. Family members said she is in a state of fear and has hardly slept or eaten in the last 24 hours.
Razia’s father Haider Ali used to live in Bihar and Kolkata. He was married in Kazimahala in Soro. Of his three daughters, the middle Razia was born in Kolkata in 1953. She was married to Sk Samsuddin of Pathan Mahala, who is no more.
Later, Haider went to Bangladesh and then Pakistan, where he took citizenship. “But my mother was born and married here. She has never been to Pakistan even once in her life. She has an Aadhaar card, voter ID, PAN card and a residence certificate. She has no Pakistani document or visa. How can they ask her to leave?” wondered her daughter Salma Parbin.
Expressing shock over the notice, they have requested the administration to re-examine and withdraw it. Attempts to contact the district SP over the matter proved futile.