Delhi HC Urges Centre to Review Afghan Trader’s Visa Extension Amid Policy Halt
Afghan dry fruit trader Ali Ahmad Nazari, residing in Delhi since 2014, faces visa extension denial due to a March Ministry of Home Affairs memorandum stopping Afghan visa extensions. The Delhi High Court requested the Centre to reconsider his case, highlighting his business ties and financial obligations in India. The Centre maintains a strict policy requiring Afghans to leave India and reapply, citing security concerns with Taliban governance.
Ali Ahmad Nazari, an Afghan dry fruits trader who has lived in Delhi since 2014, had his visa extension refused following a March 19 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) office memorandum that discontinued extending visas for Afghan nationals, requiring them instead to return to Afghanistan for fresh applications. The memorandum restricts business visas to established businessmen recommended by Afghan and Indian Chambers of Commerce, excluding smaller traders like Nazari. Despite his visa expiring on October 28, 2025, and prior extensions granted, his recent extension requests were denied without clear reasons. Nazari emphasized his ongoing contractual and financial commitments worth crores of rupees involving Indian traders, necessitating his presence in India. The Delhi High Court, hearing the case, urged the Centre, including MHA and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), to explore any possibility of visa extension considering the peculiarity of his situation. The Centre argued the blanket policy against Afghan visa extensions is driven by security risks linked to Taliban control of Afghanistan. The court noted the policy’s datedness and recent diplomatic engagements between India and the Taliban-led Afghan government, suggesting potential for policy review. The case remains under consideration with no interim protections granted to Nazari from coercive action. The March MHA memorandum also details upgrading the e-visa system, discontinuing emergency visas, and phased reopening of regular visas, initially limited in number. This case underscores the tension between security policy and humanitarian/business considerations for Afghans in India amid evolving geopolitical realities.
