Lost Rs 1 lakh on tickets: Indian woman married to Pakistani on deadline to leave

India Today

25-04-2025

As India tightens its stance on cross-border movement following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Indian women married in Pakistan are among the worst hit. Many of them, Indian passport holders with families across the border, have been forced to abruptly pack their bags and return to Pakistan, leaving behind parents and homes in India."We are told to leave within 48 hours. How is it possible? Attari is 900 km from Jodhpur. We weren't getting buses. My husband had to bear a loss of Rs 1 lakh for the tickets," said one woman.advertisement"My passport is Indian but I am half-Pakistani. I feel guilty for the terror attack, but what is the fault of the common people? They are not my cousins. For me, both India and Pakistan are important. God will punish those responsible," she said.
The woman said she was in India for just four days but was rushing back after hearing the government's order. "Only the perpetrators must be punished. The common people must not be punished. We left our crying parents behind Whoever did this attack has not read the Quran. Islam does not teach this."Several such women have now gathered at the Attari-Wagah border, stuck in limbo. Many of them have lived in Pakistan for decades, raising families there, while maintaining ties with their birthplaces in India.A man, who reached the Attari border to drop off his sister, said she had a 40-day visa but had to leave due to the situation. "We had to hire a car for her immediate return. We had to bear unnecessary expenses...There should be peace," he said. advertisementAnother Pakistani national who had been living in India, said that the situation on both sides of the border was "normal". He, however, said that he was returning to Pakistan as India suspended all visas for Pakistani nationals. "I don't know about the attack. We were told that we must leave, so we are going back," he said. In response to the Pahalgam terror strike, which killed 26 people, mainly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir, India suspended all visa services for Pakistani nationals with immediate effect.The government also withdrew the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani passport holders, cancelling all existing exemptions and ordering those in India under the scheme to leave within 48 hours. An April 27 deadline has been set for most Pakistani nationals, while those on medical visas may stay until April 29.Pakistan responded with reciprocal action, suspending its own visa exemption schemes for Indians, expelling Indian diplomats, and shutting its airspace to Indian flights.Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a state-wide drive to identify Pakistani nationals who arrived on valid visas but failed to return after expiry. Acting on instructions from the Centre and the DGP, district police chiefs and local intelligence units have begun verifying identities and collecting data.Officials estimate around 1,000 Pakistani nationals are staying illegally in Uttar Pradesh. Many reportedly arrived through family connections and later went off the radar, with some allegedly changing their identities. Instances of illegal entry via the Nepal route have also been flagged. Police believe there are 35 such individuals in Bareilly, 30 in Rampur, 18 in Bulandshahr, and 10 in Varanasi.Tune InMust Watch