2 Pakistani Nationals Arrested In Karnataka For Obtaining Indian Voter IDs, Ration Cards

Published 12 July 2026 · politics

2 Pakistani Nationals Arrested In Karnataka For Obtaining Indian Voter IDs, Ration Cards Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 13:50 IST The

2 Pakistani Nationals Arrested In Karnataka For Obtaining Indian Voter IDs, Ration Cards Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 13:50 IST The arrests come amid the ongoing political row over the Karnataka government’s proposal to issue Permanent Residence Certificates through competent authorities like tahsildars Rapid Read News18 Two Pakistani nationals have been arrested in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district after they were allegedly found in possession of Indian voter ID cards and ration cards, which investigators say were obtained by suppressing their Pakistani nationality. The arrests come amid the ongoing political row over the Karnataka government’s proposal to issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) through competent authorities like tahsildars. Recently, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Congress government’s move to empower Tahsildars to issue PRCs. The BJP had cautioned that such a move could allow illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan to obtain official documents and pose a national security threat. Responding to the criticism, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge had told CNN-News18 that the PRC would be issued only after proper verification of documents and would, in fact, help the government identify and track illegal immigrants.

A PRC is a document that residents of Karnataka can apply for to establish residency status and become eligible for benefits such as ration cards, education, employment and various government welfare schemes. The Congress has maintained that a PRC is only a residence document and has nothing to do with citizenship, which remains the exclusive domain of the Union government. Two arrests have been conducted by the Chikkaballapur police based on credible information received that Farah Naz and her son, Mohammed Fardeen, both Pakistani nationals, had obtained an Indian ration card and voter ID. An enquiry revealed that Mohammed Ayub Khan, a native of Bagepalli who was employed in the UAE, had married Farah Naz, a Pakistani national, while in the UAE. The couple has four children, of whom Mohammed Fardeen was born in Pakistan. Accordingly, Farah Naz and Mohammed Fardeen are Pakistani nationals, while Mohammed Ayub Khan and their other children are Indian nationals. The family is presently residing in Bagepalli. Following a clarification sought by the Chikkaballapura Police, the Deputy Commissioner verified the records and cancelled the ration card after finding that it had allegedly been obtained by suppressing material facts relating to nationality.