• Source:JND
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After the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that left 26 people dead, most of them tourists, including two foreign nationals, India has issued a directive for all Pakistani nationals to leave the country within 48 hours. In the wake of Foreign Secretary Vikaram Misri’s press briefing on Wednesday, social media and public forums have been flooded with questions like “Will Seema Haider be asked to return to Pakistan as well?” and “Should she now go back to Pakistan?”

A 32-year-old woman, Seema Hsider, originally from Jacobabad in Pakistan’s Sindh Province, left her home in Karachi in May 2023 and entered India illegally through Nepal, bringing her children along. Her decision was driven by a desire to be with her lover, whom she had met online. Since then, she has become a viral sensation on social media. In light of the Ministry of External Affairs' recent directive for all Pakistani nationals to leave India within 48 hours, speculation is now mounting online over whether Seema should also be asked to return to Pakistan.

Social media platforms have been buzzing with reactions and questions about Seema Haider in the wake of the government's directive. One user demanded, “Send Seema Haider back to Pakistan. Also investigate every security agency that allowed her to reach Uttar Pradesh after crossing at least three national boundaries.” Another asked, “When the government has ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave India, why is Seema Haider still here?” 

A third user remarked in Hindi, “Isme Seema Haider bhi jayegi ya usko special visa hai?” (Will Seema Haider also have to go, or does she have a special visa?). Others echoed similar sentiments, with one commenting, “I hope this includes Seema Haider as well,” and another directly appealing to the Prime Minister: “Respected @narendramodi ji, humble request: please send Seema Haider back to Pakistan.”

In 2023, Seema Haider, a mother of four from Sindh, Pakistan, illegally crossed into India via Nepal to be with Sachin Meena, a man from Uttar Pradesh whom she met while playing the online game PUBG. Leaving behind her first husband, Ghulam Haider, she brought her children along and settled in Greater Noida with Sachin. Earlier this year, the couple welcomed a baby girl.

Amid rising tension, India has significantly downgraded its diplomatic ties with Pakistan, citing cross-border links to the recent terror attack in Phahalgam. The government announced a series of stringent measures, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, and the immediate closure of the Attari land transit post. 

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also declared that both India and Pakistan would reduce their respective high commission staff strength from 55 to 30 by May 1.