The aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people were killed in a brutal terror attack on April 22, has triggered a sweeping diplomatic and domestic response from India. At the Attari-Wagah border, scenes of heartbreak and farewell unfolded as hundreds of Pakistani nationals, many of whom had been living in India for decades, were deported. But amidst these departures, the case of Osama—a young man originally from Rawalpindi-Islamabad—stood out not just for the duration of his stay in India but also for the startling revelations he made.
Osama, who had been living in India for 17 years, came as a child and built his life entirely within Indian society. He completed his 10th and 12th standard board exams in India, held documents such as Aadhaar and a ration card, and was in the middle of a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. What shocked observers, however, was his admission that he had voted in Indian elections—despite not being an Indian citizen. This revelation has sparked outrage and alarm, prompting the Election Commission of India to order a full investigation into how a Pakistani national was allegedly added to the electoral rolls, specifically in the 09-Uri Assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Election Commission’s prompt action, instructing the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir to probe Osama’s claims, underscores the seriousness of the matter. Voting is a right strictly reserved for Indian citizens, and Osama’s statements have opened a Pandora’s box. His case hints at possible systemic loopholes in voter registration and ID issuance. The fact that he was able to obtain an Aadhaar card and allegedly vote suggests either gross oversight or potential manipulation by local political interests—especially amid long-standing allegations that illegal or non-citizen voters are exploited during elections in states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Osama wasn’t alone. He was one of around 900 people who returned to Pakistan under the deadline, with 110 crossing on the final day, April 29. Shockingly, some of the deported Pakistani nationals had lived in India for up to 50 years. Many were women and children, most of them families of former Kashmiri militants who had surrendered and returned from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under various rehabilitation policies over the years. One such deportee was Minal Khan, a Pakistani woman married to a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, Munir Khan, from Jammu’s Gharota area. The couple had reportedly met online and married virtually in March, but Minal was still sent back through Poonch when her visa expired.
Osama’s emotional plea for time and a humane policy for long-settled families reflected the anguish of those now facing an uncertain future. “I was preparing for job interviews. My thought process is all over the place now,” he said, appealing to the government for compassion. He also took a strong stand against the Pahalgam massacre, calling it a “shameful act” and urging strict action against the terrorists responsible. “Leave religion aside, humanity comes first,” he said.
The deportations and revelations come as part of a broader retaliatory measure by the Indian government following the Pahalgam attack, which was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. India has launched a global diplomatic effort to expose Pakistan’s ongoing harboring of terrorists, including UN-designated Hafiz Saeed, and is tightening its internal security and immigration checks.
But the Osama episode raises troubling questions: How was a foreign national able to blend so deeply into Indian society—educationally, economically, and politically? How did official systems fail to detect or verify his citizenship status? And could there be more such cases where non-citizens are silently shaping electoral outcomes or gaining access to state services?
The deportations, though framed as a national security imperative, also put a spotlight on the grey area occupied by individuals like Osama—those who arrived legally, assimilated quietly, and now find themselves stateless in spirit, if not in law. India’s response to the Pahalgam massacre is indeed uncovering a deeper web of long-standing, under-the-radar settlements, bureaucratic lapses, and potential voter fraud, raising urgent questions about internal governance, electoral integrity, and immigration enforcement.
