Pahalgam terror attack: 537 Pakistani nationals left India through Attari border as exit deadline ends-OxBig News Network

As many as 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border point in four days beginning April 24 as the exit deadline for the 12 categories of short-term visa holders of the neighbouring nation ended Sunday (April 27). According to officials, a total of 537 Pakistani nationals have left India after the deadline for short-term visa holders ended today. A total of 850 Indians, including 14 diplomats and officials, have returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing located in Punjab in the last four days.

Speaking to the media, Arun Pal, a protocol officer at the Attari Border, stated that 850 Indian Nationals have returned to India in the past three to four days. He added that on Sunday alone, 237 Pakistani nationals returned to their country, while 116 Indian nationals came back.

“Custom immigration counters opened at 10:00 am. Before the counters closed, 237 Pakistani Nationals returned to Pakistan from India, and 116 Indian Nationals returned from Pakistan. From April 24, 537 Pakistani Nationals have returned to Pakistan, and 850 Indian Nationals have returned to India. As per the latest information, Pakistani passport holders have until 29 April to cross the border. The same applies to Indian passport holders,” Pal said.

‘Leave India’ notice for Pakistani nationals

The ‘Leave India’ notice to the Pakistani nationals was issued by the government after 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 (Tuesday). The officials told media that altogether 237 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border post on Sunday, 81 left on April 26, 191 on April 25 and 28 on April 24. Similarly, 116 Indians, including one diplomat, returned from Pakistan on Sunday through the international land border crossing; 342 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, came back on April 26; 287 Indians crossed over on April 25; and 105 Indians returned on April 24.

India doesn’t have direct air connectivity with Pakistan

Protocol Officer said that between April 24 and 27, a total of 537 Pakistani nationals crossed over to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border while 850 Indians returned from Pakistan. Some of the Pakistanis might have left India through airports too, the officials said, pointing out that since India does not have direct air connectivity with Pakistan, they might have left for other countries.

The deadline for exiting India for those holding SAARC visas was April 26. For those carrying medical visas, the deadline is April 29. 

The 12 categories of visas whose holders have to leave India are-

1. Visa on arrival
2. Business
3. Film
4. Journalist
5. Transit
6. Conference
7. Mountaineering
8. Student
9. Visitor
10. Group tourist
11. Pilgrim
12. Group pilgrim

Three Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared Persona Non Grata on April 23 (Wednesday), and they were given one week to leave India. Five support staff of these defence attaches were also asked to leave India. India has also withdrawn its defence attache from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

However, those having long-term and diplomatic or official visas were exempted from the ‘Leave-India’ order. At the Attari border in Amritsar district, vehicles queued up as Pakistani nationals hurried to cross over to their country. Many Indians came to bid farewell to their relatives, the pain of separation evident on their faces.

Sarita and her family had come to India for a relative’s wedding set for April 29. “We came to India after nine years,” she said. She, her brother and her father are Pakistanis while her mother is an Indian national.

“They (the authorities at Attari) are telling us they will not allow my mother to go along. My parents got married in 1991. They are saying Indian passport holders will not be allowed,” said Sarita, crying bitterly.

Maharashtra govt made necessary arrangements to deport people 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said all Pakistanis have been accounted for and arrangements are being made to deport the people whose visas have been revoked as per the Centre’s directives. State minister Yogesh Kadam on Saturday said 1,000 Pakistani nationals with short-term visas have been asked to leave India. Around 5,050 Pakistani citizens have been living in Maharashtra and most of them are on long-term visas.

The Bihar government said all Pakistani nationals, who had been to the state in the recent past, left well ahead of the April 27 deadline.

In the southern state of Telangana, police chief Jitender cited official records to say that 208 Pakistani nationals were staying in the state, mostly in Hyderabad. Of these, 156 held long-term visas, 13 short-term visas and 39 were with the travel document for medical and business purposes.

There were 104 Pakistani nationals in the southern coastal state of Kerala, of whom 99 were on long-term visas. The remaining five, who were on either tourist or medical visas, have left the country.

Central India’s Madhya Pradesh had around 228 visiting Pakistani nationals, many of whom have already left the country, the officials said.

Around 12 Pakistanis have been identified in Odisha and all of them have been asked to follow the deadline set for them to leave the country.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said three Pakistani nationals, who were in the state on short-term visas, have been asked to leave.

Seven Pakistanis were in Gujarat on short-term visas- five in Ahmedabad and one each in Bharuch and Vadodara. Besides, 438 Pakistani nationals are in the western state on long-term visas and they include Hindus who have applied for Indian citizenship.

In the north, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said on Saturday (April 26) that the process of sending back all categories of Pakistani citizens who have been ordered to leave India has been completed. One Pakistani national is still in the state and he will depart for Pakistan on April 30, the DGP said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (April 25) called up the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country. After Shah’s telephonic conversations with the chief ministers, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a video conference with the chief secretaries and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked must leave India by the deadline fixed.

The already strained relations between India and Pakistan nosedived further after the Pahalgam terror attack, with New Delhi announcing a raft of measures, including the cancellation of visas, against Islamabad, which hit back with a string of tit-for-tat measures.

(With agencies inputs)