By New Delhi Post Desk
New Delhi: In the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir lies a small village called Salwah. This is home to 45-year-old Iftikhar Ali, a constable serving in the Jammu and Kashmir Police for the past 27 years. On April 26, he received a shocking phone call from a senior official in the state.
He was informed that he, along with his eight siblings, would have to leave India.
The reason? They were being classified as Pakistani citizens.
For Iftikhar Ali, it felt as if the ground had slipped from beneath his feet. Salwah was the only home he had ever known. He had never even imagined such a thing. In disbelief, he told the officer that he would rather “kill himself than cross the border.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Iftikhar said,
“Like you, I’ve only heard of Pakistan. Everything I have is here—my wife, children, relatives, friends, and colleagues. I have nothing in Pakistan.”
Similar deportation notices were issued to his three brothers and five sisters. Preparations were underway to send them to the Attari border in Punjab. But before that could happen, the family approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on April 29, seeking a stay on the action.
Recalling the moment, Iftikhar said,
“When I heard I was being labelled a Pakistani citizen, I was shocked. I told them I’d rather die than sign the notice. Still, I was advised to sign. That’s when I decided to go to court.”
The High Court took up the case and put an immediate stay on the deportation notices. Justice Rahul Bharti ruled that the petitioners should neither be asked nor forced to leave Jammu and Kashmir. The court also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Poonch to submit an affidavit regarding the family’s property.
As a result, Iftikhar Ali and his eight siblings have returned home to Salwah. Interestingly, the deportation notice was issued only to Iftikhar and his siblings—not to his wife or his three minor sons, all of whom were born in India.
Iftikhar Ali’s Backstory
Iftikhar is the eighth of nine siblings. He was just two years old when his parents, Fakruddin and Fatima Bi, brought him to the then-state of Jammu and Kashmir. In their petition, the family stated that they own nearly 17 acres of land and a house in Salwah village.
Iftikhar joined the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the late 1990s, during the peak of militancy. His first posting was at the Deval Police Post in Gulabgarh area of Reasi district in 1998.
He has since expressed gratitude toward the Jammu and Kashmir Police for standing by him during this tough period. Since his return, there’s been a steady stream of visitors at his home, offering congratulations and support.
