New Delhi: VJ Sebastian Francis, father of Ayisha, the girl who had fled to Afghanistan to join ISIS, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking to allow his daughter to return with her 7-year-old daughter. Ayisha is booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and also has a red corner notice against her. She is not being allowed to return to India as she is considered a threat to national security.
"Internationally lenient approach has been taken against the women foreign terrorist fighters, this is owing to the stand taken by the countries that women only played ancillary roles and therefore could not pose any significant threat to National Security," contends the father. He says that India has an extradition treaty with Afghanistan and not allowing her extradition violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21.
Further, he contends that Ayisha's daughter is below 10 years of age and should be considered a victim rather than a potential terrorist. Ayisha, born to a Christian family, had converted to Islam without her parents' knowledge and had left India with her husband Abdulla Abdul Rashid to join ISIS. Rashid was also influenced by ISIS. Later on, Rashid died during a military operation in Afghanistan and now the parents want her to return.
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