The Supreme Court has stayed the deportation of an Accenture worker from Bengaluru along with his family, following a government order that is revoking visas and expelling Pakistani nationals amid a series of diplomatic measures following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Butt claimed he and his family were asked to exit country despite possessing Indian passports
The individual – Ahmed Tariq Butt – had approached the court asserting that he and his six-member family were instructed to exit the country despite possessing Indian passports and an Aadhaar card.
The court ordered the verification of the documents and stated that no coercive measures should be implemented against Butt, who holds an MBA from IIM in Kozhikode, Kerala, until then.
Butt was additionally asked to seek further relief from the high court; this directive was challenged by the government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, yet the Supreme Court recognized “some human element” in this issue.
SC states its ruling couldn’t serve as precedent for other cases
Ultimately, the Supreme Court also made clear that its rulings in this matter could not serve as precedent for other cases, an important point considering the numerous reports regarding Indian nationals – many bearing Muslim names – being requested to exit the country following visa cancellations.
At the hearing on Friday morning, Justice Surya Kant inquired about how Mr. Butt arrived in India. “He was born in Mirpur, Pakistan… we would like to understand the reasons and circumstances that brought you to India?”
Butt stated that he arrived in India in 1997 alongside his father, who possessed a passport from Pakistan.
Upon reaching Srinagar, Butt stated that he handed over his Pakistani passport to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, subsequently applying for and obtaining an Indian passport.
Butt mentioned that other family members came to Srinagar three years later, in 2000, and each one, he stated to the court, obtained Indian citizenship and a passport.
Nevertheless, he mentioned that despite this documentation and the possession of Aadhaar cards by him and his family members, a Home Ministry directive last week notified everyone to exit the country.
