Wagah Border To Stay Open For Returning Pakistanis After India Revokes Visa
Islamabad:
Pakistan has announced to keep the Wagah Border crossing open for its citizens returning from India after New Delhi revoked their visas following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
The decision comes after many Pakistani nationals in India were stranded on the Indian side of the border in Attari.
As per the statement issued by Pakistan Foreign office, "Many Pakistani patients had to return without completing their treatment, and there have been reports of families separated with some children left apart from one of their parents", adding that "while the deadline for the return of Pakistani nationals from India was April 30, the Wagah border in Lahore will remain open to receive its citizens if the Indian authorities allow them to cross the border from their side."
"Wagah border will remain open for Pakistani citizens in the future," stated the Pakistan Foreign Office.
"The Indian decision to revoke visas of Pakistani citizens is creating serious humanitarian challenges," the Foreign Office maintained.
India and Pakistan announced the cancellation of visas of each other's nationals, as part of a response after the Pahalgam terror attack and escalating tensions.
After India cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani citizens with immediate effect and put a deadline of April 30 for them to return to Islamabad, the move was reciprocated, leaving hundreds of families on both sides in a rush to cut short their stays and pack up to leave the country.
Reports revealed that many Pakistani families, who had travelled to India for medical treatment, had to return in these circumstances, while many others are still stranded on the Indian side of the border.
A Pakistani family that travelled to India for the heart treatment of their two children had to return without receiving the medical care, media reports said.
"My children are innocent in this situation. We had to return to Pakistan without the medical treatment for my two sons, who need treatment urgently. I appeal to the Pakistan government to arrange the treatment in another country," said Shahid Ali, father of the two ailing sons.
"They have a heart condition, and their treatment was possible in New Delhi because of the advanced medical treatment facilities there. But after the Pahalgam incident, we were told to return to Pakistan immediately," he added.
Moreover, many Pakistani nationals who married in India are forced to be separated from their families. In many cases, one of the parents, who is a Pakistani national living in India, has to return without family due to the orders of both governments. As per reports, there are thousands of Pakistani nationals still present in India who are trying to return to Pakistan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
35 minutes ago
- India.com
Modi govt gives Armed Forces freedom to..., now India will have much more powerful weapons than Pakistan's...
New Delhi: The success of one month of Operation Sindoor was celebrated on Saturday, June 7 evening. The Defense Ministry has given permission to the armed forces to buy long-range missiles, artillery shells, kamikaze drones and air-to-air missiles. These missiles will be better than the Chinese missiles which Pakistan has. According to experts, the forces have assessed the damage. This shows that the Indian Air Force (IAF) shot down four Pakistani Chinese fighter planes. Along with this, two large aircraft were also shot down during Operation Sindoor. Possibly among them was a C-130 J and a SAAB 2000 Airborne Early Warning System. According to the Hindustan Times report, it has also been learned that two F-16 fighter planes were partially damaged in the IAF missile attack. The Indian Air Force attacked 11 airbases including Sargodha, Rafiq, Jacobabad and Noor Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi). The report said that India's Rafale fighter jets, S-400 missile systems and M777 guns performed well. The Russian air defense system shot down three enemy aircraft. Reports also revealed that India destroyed a Chinese LY-80 fire radar. Also, two AN TPQ-43 US radars and a Chinese HQ-9 radar unit were destroyed. The attack was carried out on May 10 at Chaklala. Intelligence has revealed that Pakistan has four HQ-9 radars. Earlier it was believed that they had only two. HQ-9 is similar to Russia's S-300 air defense radar. The Pakistan Army used PL-15 missile. It is made in China and has a range of 180 kilometers. Pakistan merged a 250-kilometer range HQ 9 air defense system with a 150-kilometer range system. This was done at Chaklala and Malir Cantonment near Karachi. They wanted to surprise the Indian Air Force. The action report revealed that the IAF fired 19 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on Pakistan's air base. Along with this, almost the same number of French SCALP subsonic cruise missiles were also fired. Pakistan fired CM-400 AKG air-launched supersonic missiles. They used JF-17 fighter jets. But these missiles could not do any damage. Pakistan also used YIHA loitering ammunition made in Turkey. Indian electronic warfare systems jammed them. Some missiles missed their target. The rest were shot down by India's air defense system. Pakistan also fired FATAH-1 rockets. They too either missed the target or were intercepted by Indian air defence systems.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
KKR-backed IVI to buy ART Fertility Clinics for $450 million
KKR-backed IVI RMA Global, a US-based leader in infertility treatment, is set to acquire ART Fertility Clinics for $400-450 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The acquisition marks a significant step in IVI RMA's global expansion, adding India to its presence in over 15 countries and more than 190 clinical offices across the US, Europe and Latin America. Both parties are in the final stages of documentation for a shareholders' agreement and are hoping to wrap up the transaction by June end. As with private hospitals, the IVF industry in India too is witnessing consolidation as several private equity funds have been aggressive with acquisitions. In 2023, Swedish fund EQT Partners acquired a significant majority stake in Indira IVF, the largest provider of fertility services in India and top five globally in terms of annual IVF cycles, at a $1.1 billion ('9,000 crore) valuation. ART Fertility Clinics began in 2015 as IVI Middle East, an international arm of IVI RMA Global. In 2020, IVI RMA divested the business to Gulf Capital, which rebranded it as ART Fertility Clinics. Since then, the brand has rapidly grown, expanding across West Asia and India. Live Events With clinics in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain in the UAE as well as 11 centres across India, ART Fertility has established itself as a high-performance network in reproductive medicine. The Indian expansion began in 2021, backed by a $30 million investment from Gulf Capital. ART Fertility operates in big Indian cities including Mumbai, Noida, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Led by Suresh Soni, former co-founder and CEO of Nova IVF Fertility, ART Fertility reports a pregnancy success rate of 70% and has recorded over 5,000 successful pregnancies in under nine years. According to sources, ART Fertility posted revenue of $100-120 million in FY25, with an estimated Ebitda of $35 million. "For an Indian healthcare player, a $25-35 million ebitda which is borderline ebitda positive coming from the Middle East would add no value," said a fund manager at a Mumbai-based private equity firm that operates a pan-India IVF chain. "However, IVI being a US player where multiples are low, adding a Middle East business works well." IVI RMA trumped a rival bid by Temasek-backed Cloudnine Hospitals. A KKR spokesperson declined to comment. IVI RMA and ART Fertility did not respond to queries. Moelis is the advisor in the transaction. India is rapidly emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing markets for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). However, the sector has scope for expansion at 210 IVF cycles per million people, compared with 1,200 in the US and over 2,000 in Europe. Infertility affects approximately 15% of Indian couples, a figure expected to rise due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress, late marriages, and pollution. According to EY, India's IVF market is expected to grow from $793 million in 2020 to $1.45 billion by 2027, at a projected CAGR of 15-20%. India sees around 300,000 IVF cycles annually, with projections suggesting this could grow to 500,000-600,000 cycles by 2030. About 30% of the market is controlled by 10-15 organised players, while the remaining is fragmented among smaller, unorganised clinics. Key players in India's fertility sector include Indira IVF, Nova IVF, Oasis IVF, Bloom Fertility Centre, Bengaluru-based Milann, Morpheus IVF, Ridge IVF, Akanksha IVF and Bourn Hall Clinic. Nova IVF, the second largest player in India, is owned by Asia Healthcare Holdings (AHH), the single specialty hospitals platform backed by GIC and TPG. Similarly, homegrown PE fund Kedaara Capital owns a minority stake in Oasis Fertility, while Brussels-based fund Verlinvest owns a controlling stake in Ferty9 F, a premier chain of fertility clinics in the AP/Telangana region.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Business of politics after busyness of war
After the immensely successful and strategically path-breaking 'Operation Sindoor,' it is back to business as usual in India that is Bharat. By business, I mean politics. Because politics isn't just about gaining and retaining power, whether at the Centre or the states, it is also India's biggest business. Of course, going back to its original meaning, by 'business', I also mean whatever keeps us busy. Nothing preoccupies the nation, as we know only too well, as much as politics. It is so ubiquitous and pervasive that it obsessively involves us in almost all aspects of our lives—from the family to the nation. That is why I rate it higher than Bollywood, cricket or, for that matter, even religion, as both our national passion and pastime. Not to speak of our topmost source of information and entertainment. And given the wartime—or now post-war but still hostile—environment, the distinction between information and entertainment could not be more blurred. 'Operation Sindoor' was a series of strikes so precise, so restrained, yet so audacious that the world paused to take notice, albeit grudgingly. The whole country, on the other hand, was agog as the Indian armed forces, with their deadly resolve and impeccable aim, delivered a resounding slap to the face of 'rogue nation' Pakistan. The result? Mission accomplished. A masterclass in military might. However, throughout the conflict, we were also embroiled in a deafening, at times sickening, misinformation battle. Not only with our enemy but with ourselves. With political parties jockeying to position themselves as adversarial beneficiaries. Did we forget that we were at war with Pakistan, not with each other? The result? A masterclass in political theatrics, starring none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the main, if not sole and singular, protagonist of this blockbuster. And why not? The nation is no longer at war. Therefore, we must revert to our favourite melodrama, national politics.
