Attari, April 26 (IANS) Following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Pakistani nationals are now returning to their country via the Wagah-Attari border in Amritsar, complying with the deadline set by Indian authorities after visa services for Pakistanis were suspended in response to the assault.
The brutal attack, carried out on April 22 by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has triggered a wave of diplomatic and public outrage in India.
In a strong retaliatory move, the Indian government suspended visa services for Pakistani citizens, giving them until Sunday to leave the country. Medical visas, however, remain valid until Tuesday. Pakistan, in turn, has also suspended SAARC visas for Indian citizens.
As Pakistani citizens prepare for their departure, the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Attari border in Punjab has ramped up security measures. Each Pakistani national is being subjected to strict passport verification before being allowed to cross into their country. Authorities are maintaining tight checks to ensure orderly repatriation.
Many of those heading back expressed sorrow over the Pahalgam killings and criticised terrorism, lamenting how such acts affect common people. Speaking to IANS, several Pakistani nationals voiced grief and frustration over having to cut short their visits due to the deteriorating Indo-Pak relations.
Bali Ram Chawala, an emotional Pakistani national from Ghotki, said, “I have just come from Raipur. I’m returning to Pakistan now. I had a one-and-a-half-month visa. Following the recent order by PM Modi, we are leaving accordingly. Whatever happened, whatever acts of terror occurred, they were wrong and beyond human understanding. What they did was absolutely wrong. We have no connection with any caste or community. They killed an innocent person, which is pure savagery.”
Another Pakistani, Daulat, returning to Karachi from Jodhpur, said, “I had come to meet someone and attend a wedding. I had a 1.5-month visa, but now I have to leave quickly. Whatever happened (in Pahalgam) was not good. Punishment should be given, and what else should be done? Punishment should be given.”
A Pakistani citizen from Rawalpindi, who had travelled to Lucknow for a wedding, also condemned the attack. “The Pahalgam terror attack is condemnable. Innocent lives were lost,” he said.
Muzammil Hussain, who came to Mumbai to meet his family, stated, “Whatever happened in Pahalgam was not right; the terrorists should be caught and hanged.”
Another individual, Baskari, voiced anguish over the cancellation of their plans.
“We came from Muzaffarnagar for my niece’s wedding and to mourn the passing of my brother. My father is also here, our entire family is here. Today was my niece’s wedding, but despite coming from so far, we’re standing here and have been turned back even after reaching so close. Everyone suffers because of these conflicts. We came after 10 years with a one-and-a-half-month visa, but it’s only been 15 days, and we’re going back, cutting our trip short,” she said.
Her husband, Mohammad Rashid, also shared a story of grief and disappointment.
“One reason we came was because my wife’s brother passed away, another because her brother-in-law also died, and the third reason is my sister-in-law’s daughter’s wedding, which is today, the 26th. That’s why we came — after ten years. But today, while the wedding is happening, we’re standing here at the Attari border,” he said.
“Because of few individuals, many other people are suffering,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shazia, a Pakistani national who had travelled to Allahabad to visit her parents, is currently stuck in Delhi after her visa was cancelled. She had arrived in India six months ago and now longs to return to her five-year-old daughter in Pakistan. With no communication from the Pakistani embassy, her situation remains uncertain.
“I want to go back to see my child. She is just five years old. I had come to visit my parents. We are not getting any response from the Pakistani embassy,” she told IANS.
–IANS
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