Where will I go? Pak women in tears as they leave family behind in India

India Today

30-04-2025

Tears, confusion, and helplessness marked the faces of women as police vans rolled up to the Attari border — not for a journey home, but for a return to a country many left decades ago, and some barely knew. Jammu and Kashmir Police have begun deporting Pakistani nationals, many of whom have lived in India for over three decades — with homes, families, and no place to return to across the border.advertisementJammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday brought several women to the Attari border for repatriation a week after 26 people – mostly tourists – were killed by terrorists in the union territory's Pahalgam. Post the attack, Pakistani nationals across the country were asked to leave India by April 27. Those failing to leave may face a jail term of up to three years or a fine of a maximum Rs 3 lakh or both, as per the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025.'WHERE WILL I STAY IN PAKISTAN?'Among those deported is Rakshanda Zahoor, who has been living in Jammu for the past 36 years. "I am here since 36 years, how can I go back? But police has brought me here," said Rakshanda, expressing her anguish. She married an Indian national in 1989 but never received Indian citizenship. advertisement
'Where will I stay in Pakistan? I have no one there. My parents passed away in 1989. I have no one left there to back now,' she said with folded hands and tears in her eyes. Her husband, Zahoor Ahmad, said, 'Police suddenly came to our place and gave notice to leave India for my wife. Where will my wife go in Pakistan? This is tragic for us.''WHAT IS OUR FAULT'Another case is of Minal, a Pakistani woman from Sialkot who was married in Jammu just two months ago. She was also brought to the Attari border in a police van. 'This is very unfair that we are being sent back like criminals,' she said. 'What is our fault' she added, when asked about her views on the recent Pahalgam atack.'I DIDN'T COME HERE AS TOURIST, I BUILT A FAMILY HERE'Saba Kiran, who married in India 15 years ago, is also facing deportation. 'I don't want to go as my husband and kids are here,' she said. 'I don't want to go, I am being pushed out. I didn't come here as a tourist. I built a family here. No one wants to leave their own home,' she added before tearing up.advertisementAccording to officials, the Attari border was closed on Tuesday, and the deportation is now expected to take place today.PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACKOn April 22 afternoon, five to six terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran meadow, which is around 5 kms from Pahalgam. The meadow - also known as 'mini Switzerland' - is accessible only by foot or by horseback. The Pahalgam carnage was one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the Kashmir Valley in recent years.The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.Eyewitnesses said the terrorists emerged from the surrounding pine forests and fired at people picnicking, riding ponies, or eating at food stalls. Most of the victims were tourists, including two foreigners from the UAE and Nepal, and two locals.In a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the next day of the attack, it was announced that Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed to visit India under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).The directive also mandates that any Pakistani nationals currently in India under this scheme must leave the country within 48 hours.advertisementAs many as 786 Pakistani nationals have left India through the Attari-Wagah border point within six days beginning April 24, a senior official told ANI. The officer informed that during the same time, a total of 1376 Indians have returned from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border.