As tensions simmer between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Taimur Tariq will have to wait longer to meet his six-month-old baby, Minha. Taimur, who hails from Multan in Pakistan, is married to Sreeja Gopal, a 36-year-old nurse from Kottayam. Currently running a wood-trading business in Ajman, UAE, Taimur got a 45-day visa to travel to India. He had plans to hold his baby for the first time, to attend the housewarming function and wedding of his brother-in-law in May.

"I have a valid visa, but I cannot come to India given the present situation. What happened in Pahalgam was really shocking. I have families in both countries. All I can do now is pray and hope for everything to resolve soon," Taimur told Onmanorama from Ajman.

Taimur had come to Kerala in August 2024. He celebrated Independence Day in their house in Kottayam by cutting a cake on August 15. It was three years ago that he bought a house in Kottayam and named it Tariq Manzil, which he then gifted to his wife, Sreeja. "Maybe sometime in future, I plan to come and settle here in Kerala. The people are lovely, and the weather is good. I consider it my home," said Taimur.

He had applied for a visa in 2024 to be with Sreeja at the time of her delivery in September. The process got delayed, and the visa was approved only in March. When he decided to fly to Kerala on April 19, his shop caught fire, and he suffered major financial loss. "A police probe is currently underway. It was a significant financial blow, but I still wanted to be home to meet my baby and attend my brother-in-law's wedding. I postponed my travel to April 25. I should have been in Kerala by now, but at present, I have cancelled my plan," said Taimur.

Based on the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. The Ministry of External Affairs has notified that all existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals will stand revoked with effect from April 27. All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of their visas, as now amended, the MEA has directed. Taimur stated that he has not received any communication from the consulate regarding the validity of his visa so far. Taimur has travelled to India four times in the past, and he has never had any issues in getting a visa.

Sreeja and Taimur had to wait for eight years before they convinced their families and got married in 2018. "We have been through many difficult times before. We are dealing with the situation, and everything will be fine soon," Sreeja exuded hope. While working as a nurse in Sharjah, she had met Taimur, and their friendship blossomed, eventually culminating in marriage.

Sreeja is constantly in touch with her mother-in-law, Shabana. She has never been to Pakistan. She has met her in-laws at their apartment in Sharjah. Taimur and Sreeja have named their baby Minha, which in Arabic means Gift of God. "I have many Indian close friends. We are like family. I am sure God will solve this problem," he said.