The movement of people at the Attari border continued on Monday as the Indian government implemented the immediate closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in response to rising tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
A resident of Amarkot district in Pakistan, who was seen leaving with his family, explained, “I stayed here for four months with relatives. We are returning as per the orders, as we don’t have a long-term visa. The Pahalgam incident is unfortunate, and we are bearing the consequences of the terrorists’ actions. It would be better if both countries work together.”
In light of the attack, the Indian government revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, except for long-term and diplomatic visas. Over the past three days, 537 Pakistani nationals have left India through the Attari border after the deadline for short-term visa holders ended on Sunday, according to an official report.
Arun Pal, a protocol officer at the Attari border, stated, “A total of 850 Indian nationals have returned to India in the past three days. On Sunday alone, 237 Pakistani nationals left, while 116 Indian nationals came back. As of April 24, 537 Pakistani nationals and 850 Indian nationals have crossed the border.”
Pal further noted that Pakistani passport holders have until April 29 to exit India, and the same applies to Indian nationals returning to Pakistan.
A Pakistani national, who was returning via the Attari border, shared, “We visited Nagpur, and now we are heading back as our visa expired. It’s unfortunate that innocent people are being punished for the actions of others. What happened in Pahalgam was wrong, and innocent lives should not have been harmed.”
The Indian government’s decision to suspend visa services for Pakistani nationals came after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. The attack killed 26 people, most of them tourists, and injured several others. This attack, one of the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama strike, has led to heightened security concerns and political responses between the two nations.
