A Pakistani national, set free after imprisonment and a 10-year legal battle, is finding himself on no-man's land with his country refusing to take him back.
A Pakistani national, set free after imprisonment and a 10-year legal battle, is finding himself on no-man's land with his country refusing to take him back and the district authorities here in a quandary to keep him.
Mohammad Idris, who came here 10 years back to see his ailing father, landed himself in trouble when his visa expired and he had to spend some days in jail.
After fighting the prolonged legal battle, he was finally set free but only to realise that more problems lay in store for him.
As he prepared to cross the Indo-Pak border, he found to his dismay that the Pakistani authorities were not prepared to accept him back as the validity of his passport had expired.
Idris is now confronted with a strange predicament -- he is not authorised to stay in India and is also not acceptable by Pakistan. Even the Kanpur police is puzzled as to what to do.
At present he is staying in a guest house under the protection of Kanpur police and praying for his early return so that he can join his wife Shabana and four children, who are waiting for him eagerly.
DIG Kanpur DP Jogdand said efforts are on to send Idris back and the moment he gets emergency certificate from the Pakistan High Commission he will return to his country.
Idris was born in Mishri Bazaar area of the city where his parents lived. He was married in Karachi and after some time became a citizen of Pakistan.
Idris was a small trader in Karachi and used to make leather goods.
He came to India in May 1999 on a 15-day tourist visa to see his ailing father Ahmed Jaan. When his father expired, Idris was so shocked that he forgot about the validity period of his visa.
He also committed the error of not informing the local intelligence unit or the Pakistan High Commission about the expiry of his travel document.
Idris was arrested in July 1999 under the Foreigners Act on charges of over-staying on an expired visa and sent to jail.
Though he was out on bail after six days of remaining behind the bars, he continued to stay in Kanpur where the case ran for ten years.
On August six this year, he was set free by the court which imposed a fine of a paltry amount of Rs 500 and ordered his immediate return to his country.
Following this, the local police escorted him to the Indo-Pak border at Attari on August 16. There, the Indian authorities said that since his passport has expired, he cannot go to Pakistan.
They said Idris has to obtain an emergency certificate from the Pakistan High Commission before he is handed over to the authorities in his country.
Idris was then brought to Delhi on August 19 and taken to Pakistan High Commission and the Union Home Ministry.
For the last four months, he is awaiting permission from the Pakistan High Commission to go back.
"Talks are on with Pakistani authorities and we hope he will get the certificate soon," Jogdand said.
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