'Pakistani national' arrested in Ghaziabad

A Pakistani national has been arrested from Nahal village in Ghaziabad district adjoining the national capital, police said Thursday.

Mohammad Idreesh, 70, was living in Nahal village of Ghaziabad with his wife and children and possesses movable and immovable assets including 30 bighas of land. He had also been issued a voter ID card and other documents which only citizen are allowed to possess.

His two daughters, born in India, are now married to Indian nationals in Delhi.

Idrees confessed that he was born in India in 40s. At the time of Partition when he was only five-to six-years-old, his father Nazar Mohammad took him to Pakistan, police said.

But he returned to India on Pakistani passport when he was about 18-year-old, he told police.

His relatives returned him his ancestral agriculture land which he cultivates unaware of immigration laws as he is uneducated, police quoted him as saying.

About 30 years ago, he was deported to Pakistan but returned on a valid visa for which he still gets regular extension, he has told police.

His application for extension is still pending with the the home department, Idreesh told the police.

"Being a Pakistani national he is not allowed to buy property but he bought agricultural land. But when he came to know about the law, he immediately transferred that property in name of his children. He obtained the voter ID card also during his about 60 years' stay in India. So he has been arrested," said Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) officer Shiv Singh.

"During the process of visa application at home office he is entitled to stay but his fault is that he bought property in violation of rules," the officer added.