India is facing a diplomatic absurdity that borders on farce. The Pakistani government is brazenly refusing to take back its nationals, even those carrying valid Pakistani passports, as New Delhi finally musters the political will to deport illegal immigrants who pose a growing internal security risk. This isn’t just an international embarrassment; it’s a direct challenge to Indian sovereignty and a slap in the face of global legal norms. The time for restraint has long passed. India must now consider bolder, unilateral action—including forcible deportation—if necessary. Let’s be clear: harbouring illegal migrants, especially when their identity is confirmed, is not India’s obligation. It is Pakistan’s. Under international law, specifically Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a country is bound to accept its nationals. A valid passport is proof of citizenship. If Pakistan chooses to disregard this, it becomes a rogue state defying global norms and should be treated as such. This isn’t just a paperwork issue. Many of these illegal Pakistani nationals are not harmless bystanders. Several have been linked to radical groups, terror modules, or sleeper cells, often living under false identities. Their continued presence in India is a security tinderbox. The government, rightly, is under pressure to act—not only from security agencies but from citizens who are tired of being sitting ducks in their own country while enemy nationals exploit our democratic loopholes.
Where, one must ask, are the so-called international watchdogs now? The United Nations, which is quick to sermonize India on Kashmir and preach “restraint” every time terrorists are neutralized, should answer a simple question: Is Pakistan’s refusal to take back its own citizens not a violation of international norms? Is India expected to carry the burden of foreign nationals whose own government treats them as expendable? And what of Pakistan’s “all-weather” allies—China, Turkey, and their ilk—always eager to moralize when it suits their agenda? Will they now offer shelter and asylum to these nationals? Will Turkey, that self-declared champion of the ummah, open its doors to Muslims whom Pakistan won’t even accept? Don’t hold your breath. Their concern for “human rights” ends where India’s interests begin. This situation is not only a legal stalemate—it’s a national insult. India is being told to keep enemy citizens who don’t belong here, who jeopardize our security, and whose own government washes its hands of them. That is not diplomacy. That is diplomatic cowardice—from Pakistan, and strategic softness from India if we allow it to continue. Here’s what India must do: If Pakistan refuses to repatriate its nationals within a fixed timeframe, India should revoke all protections and forcibly deport them across the border wherever logistically feasible. Yes, forcibly. Nations that fail to protect their borders fail their citizens. And if the so-called international community has a problem with that, they can kindly offer to take these migrants in themselves, or shut up. India cannot wait for an “army action” to begin to clean up its internal threats. Illegal Pakistani immigrants, particularly those flagged by intelligence agencies, must be removed now. Detention is not enough. Soft borders and softer policies have cost India dearly, from Mumbai 26/11 to Pulwama. It’s time we stop playing by rules others don’t respect. This is not a communal issue. This is not about religion. This is about national security, sovereignty, and sanity. If Pakistan won’t take its people back, let the world watch what happens when India does what needs to be done—decisively and unapologetically.
