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Time of India
01-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Pahalgama attack aftermath: Pakistan shuts Wagah gate, leaves its citizens stranded
ATTARI: Pakistan refused Thursday to open the gates at Wagah border post across Punjab's Attari, leaving dozens of its people and those deported from India stranded in the no-man's-land of diplomatic deadlock. No Pakistani nationals were allowed to cross the border, Indian officials said, though Afghan trucks were granted entry into India. Pakistan's foreign ministry cited "brotherly relations" with Afghanistan for the exception, highlighting the selective nature of the border movement. Pakistan had allowed its nationals to return until April 29, but by Thursday, the gates remained closed, deepening a standoff that has left families torn between two countries - forced to bear the consequences of a visa suspension following the April 20 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Among them were two elderly sisters, unsure of where they belong - or where they'll be allowed to go. For Saeeda Sagir Fatima and Saeeda Jameer Fatima, born in Lahore but long settled in Srinagar, the closed gate came as a reprieve from what they feared would be a forced exile. The two, physically frail and clutching bags packed for a one-way trip, had lived in India for over 40 years after entering legally with passports and visas. Despite years of appeals and a court order, their applications for Indian citizenship were denied. Saeeda Sagir, who is physically disabled, wept. "Who will take us in there?" she asked, referring to Pakistan. "May our final breath be on Indian soil, and may we be laid to rest here." Just yards away, the same closed gate brought anguish to two Indian sisters. Sharmin and Shakeela, who live in Karachi after marrying Pakistani men more than a decade ago, were unable to return home. They had travelled to India on March 27 to see their critically ill mother and were told they could re-enter Pakistan on May 1. "It was surprising and shocking to find out that the border gates were closed," Sharmin said. Holding Indian passports and accompanied by their children, the sisters waited helplessly. Their brother Mohammad Shariq, who came to bid them farewell, said their lives - and their families - were rooted across the border areas. Adding to the uncertainty, a group of Pakistani labourers, mostly Hindus who had been working in Rajasthan, also awaited return. They were instructed to leave India after the Pahalgam attack, despite having no links to the violence. "We came here for finding work, not trouble," said Ganesh, one of the labourers. "Now we are being sent back to nothing. As minorities in Pakistan, our lives are harder than ever." Local porters and Sikh volunteers from a nearby gurdwara stepped in to help, offering langar - free meals and water - to those stranded on the border.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Twisted fate at Attari: Pak sisters stay, Indian ones can't leave
1 2 3 Attari: In a twist of fate at the Attari border , two Indian sisters, desperate to return to their families in Pakistan, were stopped — while two Pakistani sisters, unwilling to be deported, were spared the journey as the Pakistan govt did not open the gates on Thursday. For Saeeda Sagir Fatima and Saeeda Jameer Fatima—Pakistani sisters who've lived in India for over 40 years—it was meant to be a forced departure. Born in Lahore and settled in Srinagar decades ago, the two said they had legally crossed into India with valid passports and visas. Despite their repeated efforts to secure Indian citizenship , a court order, and years of waiting, it was denied. Their cousin, Manowwat Hussain, who accompanied them to bid farewell, said, "They've built lives here. Why should they be punished for wanting to live peacefully?" he said. Calling Pakistan a country they barely knew, where they had no family, home, or property. Saeeda Sagir asked, "Who will take us in there?" "May our final breath be on Indian soil, and may we be laid to rest here," she added. Luckily for them, the border gates stayed shut. Saeeda, who is physically disabled, hoped that somehow the border would remain closed, keeping her from being sent to what she called a "foreign land" in her twilight years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nature Meets Science: This Spray Is Turning Heads in Ear Health Stop Tinnitus Now Learn More Undo Just a few steps away, another heartbreaking story unfolded. Sharmin and Shakeela, two Indian sisters married in Pakistan over 12 and 18 years ago, could not cross the border with their children. "It was surprising and shocking to find out that the border gates were closed. We were told that we could cross the border on May 1," the two, who had come to India on March 27 to see their critically ill mother, said. Their brother, Mohammad Shariq, who came to see them off, said both sisters reside in Karachi and hold Indian passports. A senior immigration official confirmed that no Pakistani national was able to cross the border on Thursday. Adding to the chaos, a group of Pakistani labourers, most of them Hindus, waited at the border under orders to return. They had worked in Rajasthan and were told to leave India after the Pahalgam attack. Ganesh, one of the workers, said, "We came for work, not trouble. Now we are being sent back to nothing. As minorities in Pakistan, our lives are harder than ever." Local porters and a nearby gurdwara stepped in to provide langar, offering stranded families free meals and water. The Pakistani govt had allowed nationals to cross the border until April 29, but by May 1, it had become clear that the gates would remain closed. In contrast, Pakistan reportedly cleared Afghan trucks—stranded at transit points since April 25—to enter India. The Pakistan foreign ministry, in a statement, cited "brotherly relations" with Afghanistan for the exception. MSID:: 120794591 413 |
