Visa ban on Pakistanis: What will happen to Seema Haider

The Gautam Budh Nagar police has begun identifying all Pakistani nationals living in the district, following the central government’s declaration on Thursday that all Pakistani citizens currently residing in India must leave the country and that their visas will be revoked effective April 27. However, the future of one Pakistani citizen who lives in Guatam Budh Nagar and who came to India illegally without a visa, remains uncertain.

Seema Haider, the 32-year-old Pakistani woman who illegally entered India in 2023 and married Sachin Meena, a 24-year-old resident of Rabupura in Greater Noida, is currently under treatment at a private hospital with her newborn daughter while the central government investigates her case, said her lawyer, AP Singh.

“She converted to Hinduism and married Sachin Meena and last month gave birth to a baby girl. Her documents are with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which is investigating her case. A petition concerning her status is also pending before the President of India,” said her lawyer, AP Singh. “Seema remains out on bail and is adhering to all conditions laid out by the court. She has full faith in the judiciary and the government,” he added.

Originally from the Khairpur district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, Seema met Sachin during the Covid-19 lockdown through the online game PUBG. She travelled to Nepal before entering India via the Yamuna Expressway on May 13, 2023, where Sachin received her. The couple, along with her children, initially settled in a rented house just 200 metres away from Sachin’s family home in Rabupura.

However, growing suspicion among local residents triggered a police investigation. The couple then fled to Ballabhgarh but were apprehended on July 4, 2023.

Police charged Seema, Sachin, and Sachin’s father, Netrapal, under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, related to criminal conspiracy. They were granted bail by a Jewar court on July 7, 2023, and currently live in Rabupura.

Rabupura station house officer Sujeet Kumar Upadhyay said, “We were also informed that there is some discussion about her (Seema Haider) on social media. However, as of now, we have not received any official orders related to Seema Haider.”

On the number of Pakistani nationals living in Gautam Budh Nagar district, a senior police officer from the Noida police, requesting anonymity, said, “As of now, we have not received any official letter from higher authorities. However, we are identifying how many Pakistanis are living in the district.”