Balasore: The family of 72-year-old Rajia Sultana from Odisha's Balasore district is in shock after receiving a notice from the district administration ordering her to leave India and return to Pakistan. The notice, issued on April 25, has left Rajia's son deeply distressed, as he struggles to understand why his mother is being targeted despite possessing all the necessary documents that any Indian citizen would have.

"My mother is not a Pakistani," he asserted, voicing his confusion and frustration. "She has all the documents any Indian would have — an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, a ration card. She has never been to Pakistan or even known anything about it. So, why is she being asked to leave?" 

He further expressed concern about her health: “She is 72 and suffering from multiple ailments — liver infection, kidney issues, and spinal problems. Issuing such a notice without proper verification has caused us serious mental stress. We request the government to cross-check and analyse what went wrong.”

A neighbour and close friend of Rajia echoed similar sentiments, “She has nothing in Pakistan. She was born and brought up here, married here, her kids were born here, and she went to school here. She even has a ration card. What does she have in Pakistan? Nothing. If there’s space for one to be sent, there’s space for many — they should send us all. Why wasn’t she asked to leave when she applied for documents?"

The controversy arose in the aftermath of the Centre’s decision to revoke long-term visas for Pakistani nationals following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives and was reportedly linked to Pakistan-based terrorists.