Policeman Iftkhar Ali from Poonch thanked the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for stopping the deportation of him and his eight siblings to Pakistan. The court intervened after the family, long-time residents of Salwah village, received ‘Leave India’ notices despite their deep roots in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir: “I am born to serve the Jammu and Kashmir Police and my country, India,” said 45-year-old policeman Iftkhar Ali on Saturday. Just a few days earlier, he and his eight siblings were nearly sent to Pakistan, but the Jammu and Kashmir High Court stepped in at the last moment to stop their deportation.
Iftkhar Ali comes from Mendhar sub-division near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. For him, wearing the police uniform is not just a profession – it is his life’s purpose.
He has worked in the Jammu and Kashmir Police for over 27 years, serving in various departments with bravery and dedication. His record includes many medals and certificates for outstanding service.
He expressed deep trust in the country’s leadership and said,
“I was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and said he was confident that the country’s leadership will not allow his handing over to the ‘enemy nation’ on the ‘mere conspiracy’ that they belong to the part of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan.”
Iftkhar Ali and his eight siblings – Mohd Shafiq (60), Nashroon Akhter (56), Akseer Akhter (54), Mohd Shakoor (52), Naseem Akhter (50), Zulfqar Ali (49), Koser Parveen (47), and Shazia Tabasum (42) – were among over two dozen people who received ‘Leave India’ notices. These notices were issued in the Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu districts. Most of those affected had roots in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Authorities took them to Punjab on Tuesday and Wednesday for deportation.
But Ali and his family were brought back home after the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court admitted their petition. They told the court that they are not Pakistani nationals and have always lived in Salwah village.
The court stayed their deportation.
“We have a centuries-old history of being the bona fide residents of Salwah with both our parents and other ancestors were buried in the village…the notice (on April 26 by Deputy Commissioner, Poonch) came as a shocker to our family comprising more than 200 members, including some serving in the Army,” Ali told PTI.
He lives with his wife and three young children aged between six and 11 years. When the deportation order came, the family was devastated and decided to move the court.
“In the midst of the situation, he said they decided to approach the high court and are grateful to the judiciary for giving them respite.”
Justice Rahul Bharti of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court gave them temporary relief and said,
“(The) petitioners are not asked or forced to leave UT of Jammu & Kashmir. This direction is, however, subject to objections from the other side.”
The judge also asked the Deputy Commissioner of Poonch to file an affidavit with information about the property held by the petitioners.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 20.
Ali believes a family land dispute may be behind the deportation notice.
“We have a land holding of nearly five hectares with another two hectares illegally usurped by my maternal uncle with whom we are having a long dispute. The deportation notice is the outcome of that very dispute because they do not want to return our land,” Ali claimed.
Officials said that Ali’s parents, Faqur Din and Fatima Bi, crossed the LoC into PoK during the 1965 war and stayed at a refugee camp in Tralkhal. They returned to Salwah in 1983 with their nine children. Later, between 1997 and 2000, the Jammu and Kashmir government recognized them as permanent residents, but the central government never officially granted them Indian nationality.
“I have served all the wings in the police department over the past 27 years, which is evident from the scars on my body, and the citations and rewards which I have received from the department for shedding my sweat and blood for the country,” Ali said.
He described how hurtful it was to be told he was not Indian: “The most painful moment of my life was when I was told that I did not belong to this country.”
“I do not belong to Pakistan and nobody is there for me. I belong to India and this is my country. I love the police from the core of my heart and I am ready to sacrifice my life for the country,” he declared.
Ali also appreciated his legal team and a local activist who helped his family.
“He also thanked his lawyers and also the sociopolitical activist Safeer Choudhary who extended his support to the family.”
Choudhary said, “I also come from Mendhar and I know they have a genuine case so I came forward on humanitarian grounds to mobilise support in their favour so that they are not deported to Pakistan.”
