Mohsina Malik
In 2010, a policy of surrender and resettlement (Rehabilitation policy) was passed by Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in which it was said that the people who crossed the border for arms training, can return to their ancestral places along with their families, and settle here in Kashmir.
Nearly 241 returnees along with 704 women and children migrated to Kashmir via Nepal route, soon after reaching Kathmandu, the authorities confiscated their legal travel documents and other documents including identity proof documents.
In 2011, Omar Abdullah appealed to the center to review the continuation of the Armed Force Special Power Act (AFSPA) to the state of Jammu Kashmir.
After returning to Kashmir, due to no legal documents, the PaK returnees started facing many problems; no jobs, no placements anywhere, their children couldn’t get enrolled in schools and colleges, they couldn’t travel to other parts of the world.
When the AFSPA was expanded, many ex-militants including PaK returnees were arrested, which added more to their struggle.
In the year 2012, a PaK returnee’s wife attempted suicide in the Ganderbal area of Kashmir, the reason for suicide was longing to meet their families who were living in Pakistan because of no legal documents, their lives were filled with pain and miseries.
Some returnee wives are divorced, and some are widows.
Then, hundreds of Pakistani wives joined together, started protesting, demanding to get deported, or be granted citizenship along with their children.
All these years, they have got no response from the government even after protesting, approaching the government several times.
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In a press conference today on International Women’s Day, Pakistani returned wives told accused the government of not paying heed to their genuine demands. “If they do not want to listen, they can give us Noori visa on Pakistani passport through which we can go to our homes in Pakistan, they are not giving us that too. If the government wanted us to return, then why are not they accepting us and giving the citizenship,” they asked.
“If they will deport us, deport us with our husbands, deporting us without our husbands will come with consequences. Isn’t the government trying to breaking the families”, Saira Javeed, a Pakistani wife from Karachi, living here in Kupwara said, adding, “Women’s day means nothing to us, nobody listen to us.”
Saira Javeed came to Kashmir in the year 2007 with her husband, till now they have been struggling to live a happy life.
When asked about the ceasefire, Saira said “what will the ceasefire do, we are suffering. Both countries should talk about us, and come to a point, which will be beneficial for us”, she added.
On humanitarian grounds, they should fulfill our demands, she said. “Our children are suffering, they are not enrolled in schools and colleges, not getting jobs because we are not provided any documents”, she said.
Bushra, another woman from Pakistan, living in Handwara, who is a teacher in a private school, came to Kashmir in 2014.
Bushra said, “If my children will opt for MBBS, or any other degrees in any college and university, for verifications they need legal documents, which we don’t have, adding. While verifying, they write, he is a son of ex-militant or daughter after which there is no chance that they will get enrolled. What’s the point of writing “ex-militant” in our documents, when our husbands are no more affiliated with any outfit”, she added.
“We come to protests, or in press conferences, ‘the headlines remain wives of ex-militant staged protest’, “why headlines carry ex-militant’s wives”, when they have already left, and are running their own businesses or doing other jobs”, she asked.
“If they brought us, why are not they accepting us, we are Pakistanis, not our husbands and children”, what’s stopping them to give us our documents or respond to our demands”, she added.
While asking Saira, when she traveled to Kashmir, what thought she was carrying in her mind, she said, “I was happy, I am returning with my husband to his home which I always dreamt of, it was a joyous moment to me, I was thinking I will connect to my in-laws, will live there with them, but that couldn’t happen.”
A few days back, they staged a protest and were going towards Civil Secretariat but they were stopped, tear gases were fired. “We were carrying our children with us, the only demand we have is to be deported or give citizenship to us,” she said. We got clearance from the embassy but the government is not willing to let us go, she added.
There are many who are willing to come to Kashmir, but we want to tell them, “Do not come here for settlements because we are not happy here, there is no future for children.”
Misbah, another Pakistani woman said that “who returned here, some have attempted suicide or are suffering from mental health issues”, “at least keeping humanity in view, they can give us Noori visa, so that we can meet our families.”