Seema Haider under deportation fear after Pahalgam retaliation; her lawyer says she's 'Indian'
Lucknow, Apr 24 (PTI): Seema Haider, who made it to the headlines when she left Pakistan to marry her Indian lover, faces fresh scrutiny now that the Centre has ordered all citizens of that country to leave India before the month ends, in retaliation to Pahalgam attack.
Seema, who was already married back home in Sindh province, had illegally entered India via Nepal in 2023 along with her four children.
Despite the countrywide backlash, her lawyer is hopeful that she will be allowed to live in India, as, he claimed, she was no longer a Pakistani citizen.
"Seema is no longer a Pakistani national. She married Sachin Meena, a resident of Greater Noida, and recently gave birth to their daughter, Bharti Meena. Her citizenship is now connected with her Indian husband, and therefore the Centre's directive should not apply to her," Advocate AP Singh told PTI.
Singh argued that the Centre's order was applicable only to those who currently hold Pakistani citizenship.
"Seema is in India, and she is Indian. A woman's nationality is determined by her husband's nationality after marriage," he said.
He also pointed out that her case is distinct because it is already under investigation by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
"I have also filed a petition on her behalf with the President of India. She is out on bail and has been fully complying with the conditions set by the Jewar court, which include not leaving her in-laws' residence in Rabupura, Greater Noida," Singh added.
Citing international legal frameworks, Singh said, "The International Court of Justice and the Guardianship Act clearly state that a mother is the best guardian for a child. Would you want to send a daughter born in India to Pakistan?"
He said Seema's marriage and motherhood are part of a naturalised process.
"The birth certificate issued by the Uttar Pradesh government names Seema Meena as the mother and Sachin Meena as the father of the child. This reinforces her integration into Indian society," the lawyer said.
Asked if these arguments are likely to secure Seema an exemption from the Centre's directive, Singh said, "She qualifies for exemption. The Guardianship Act says the child must stay with the mother."
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, the central government suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals as part of a series of retaliatory steps.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decision on Wednesday.
The Ministry of External Affairs also announced that all valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be cancelled effective April 27. Medical visas will remain valid only until April 29. All Pakistani nationals currently in India have been instructed to leave the country before their visa expires.
At present, Seema lives with husband, Sachin, in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
