Pahalgam fallout: 2 women of Pakistani origin leave Odisha, fate of 10 uncertain

BHUBANESWAR: Two women out of 12 Pakistani nationals residing in Odisha have left the country after the Centre's ‘quit-India' deadline ended on Sunday. The state govt now awaits directives from the Centre regarding necessary legal measures to be taken against those who failed to comply with the order.
"Two Pakistani Muslim women — one from Bhubaneswar and the other, a widow from Kotpad area in Koraput district — left for Delhi from Odisha on Sunday. They are supposed to catch flights to Karachi from Colombo on Monday. They were married to Indian men in Odisha and had settled in the state," a senior govt official said.
The Centre had on Friday announced the suspension of visa services for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect and revoked all existing valid visas issued to them, except long-term, diplomatic and official ones.
"These two women did not possess long-term visas. There are a few others in the remaining 10 who have obtained long-term visas following their marriages in the state. Their visas have not been revoked," the official said.
In response to some Pakistani nationals staying put despite cancellation of their visas and end of the deadline, the govt official said, "We are awaiting govt's instructions as to our next course of action."
Sources said a Pakistani woman in Balasore and another in Balangir reportedly refused to leave. They were present in the state till the filing of the report.
"In Cuttack district's Tigiria area, a Pakistani woman showed her long-term visa. In Cuttack city (urban police district), two children of a divorced Pakistani man were served with ‘quit-India' notices. Their father is not in Odisha. "We are waiting for the govt's instructions on how to proceed in such a delicate situation," another govt official said.