Uncertainty and distress for Pakistan nationals at Attari border after exit deadline

Time of India

01-05-2025

Attari: A day after the April 29 deadline for Pakistani nationals residing in India on short-term visas to exit via the
Attari-Wagah border
, scenes of distress and uncertainty unfolded at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) here.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that immigration authorities might be permitting the return of Pakistani women from Jammu and Kashmir, some accompanied by infants, as the situation continued to evolve with no official statement from the authorities.
According to sources, at least five Pakistani women, accompanied by infants just a few days to a few months old, were brought to the ICP from Jammu and Kashmir and pleaded with immigration officials not to be separated from their children. While it was claimed that the infants also held valid emergency permits to cross the border, so they were allowed to cross over to Pakistan with their mothers.
At approximately 6 pm, a few burqa-clad women were seen exiting the ICP, but they declined to speak to the media. "These women lacked any valid travel documents, so they were not permitted to cross into Pakistan and were sent back," said sources.
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Official confirmation of these events could not be obtained, as no immigration authority was willing to comment on record.
In another tragic development, sources informed that a 68-year-old Pakistani national Abdul Wahid who also arrived from Jammu and Kashmir for crossing over to Pakistan collapsed due to a medical condition and was taken to a hospital, where he later passed away.
Meanwhile, several families continue to be caught in the uncertainty following the April 29 directive.
Muhammad Ibrahim, a Delhi resident, arrived at Attari to receive his two children who returned from Pakistan. His wife, Saima, a Pakistani national from Lahore, travelled to Pakistan on a three-month visa and overstayed due to the sudden death of her brother. As per the govt order issued after the Pahalgam attack, their children, holding Indian passports, were instructed to return, but Saima now needs to reapply for a visa due to her expired documentation.
"We've been married for 18 years, and this situation was completely unexpected," said Ibrahim, echoing the emotional strain felt by many cross-border families.
Samreen, another Pakistani national, also shared her ordeal. Having arrived in India in Sept 2024 on a 45-day visa, she later married an Indian national and applied for a long-term visa (LTV), which remains under process. "I applied for an LTV, but after the Pahalgam incident, I was suddenly asked to return. What is my fault? Why are we being punished?" she asked tearfully.
In Baramulla, Ghulam Masood, who has been married for four decades, recounted how, on April 28 police visited his home and instructed both his wife and daughter-in-law —Pakistani nationals — to return to Pakistan. "This has never happened before. It feels like our lives have been turned upside down overnight," he said.
Clearance of Pakistani nationals at the ICP Attari was still ongoing at the time of filing this report, as uncertainty and anguish loomed over the families affected by the sudden enforcement of exit orders.
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