Pakistani nationals in Rajasthan rush to Attari-Wagah border to meet visa deadline
As many as 76 Pakistani nationals, who had come to visit their relatives in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, left India via the Attari-Wagah border on Sunday, Jodhpur's Foreigners Registration Officer Narpat Singh Rathore told TOI.
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Another 20 Pakistani nationals also left from other bordering districts in Rajasthan including Jaisalmer, Barmer, Phalodi, Bikaner and Balotra, taking the total number of departures on Sunday to 96.
"Some minority Pakistani nationals — mainly Hindus — who had either come to meet family or were hoping to apply for permanent residency but could not, were also among the group that departed for Pakistan," Rathore said while speaking to TOI.
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He added that approximately 14,000 Hindu migrants are currently residing in Jodhpur on LTVs, and several more are awaiting approvals after submitting their paperwork.
Further, security agencies reported 20 Pakistani nationals from districts near the Rajasthan's borders left on Sunday. This included 7 from Jaisalmer, 6 from Barmer, 4 from Bikaner, two from Phalodi and one from Balotra.
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"These citizens were directed to cross the Indian border via Attari before midnight on Sunday," DIG, CID (Jodhpur Zone), Ajay Singh, said, adding that no departures were recorded from Pali, Sirohi, and Jalore districts as no Pakistani nationals were present there according to government records.
"In the last two days, many Pakistani nationals who arrived recently have lined up at e-Mitra centres to submit LTV applications. Dilip Sodha, owner of an e-Mitra centre in Jaisalmer, told TOI, "In the past 24 hours, around 850 Pakistani nationals successfully submitted their LTV applications at three e-Mitra centres. With a few hours still remaining before the deadline ends, I am hopeful the number will cross 1,000," he added.
District authorities in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner remain on high alert as the deadline set by the Union govt for Pakistani nationals on short-term visas to leave India came to an end on Sunday evening.
Only Pakistani nationals on Long Term Visas (LTV) or those who have applied for LTVs before the deadline were granted exemptions. Around 1,500 to 1,700 Pakistani nationals had arrived in Rajasthan over the last three months.
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