Pakistani Nationals Exit India via Attari Border as Medical Visa Validity Expires Following Pahalgam Attack
Amritsar, April 30 — A sharp increase in the departure of Pakistani nationals from India was witnessed at the Attari border on Tuesday, coinciding with the expiry of medical visas issued to Pakistani citizens. The move follows the Indian government’s decision to revoke all short-term visas issued to Pakistanis in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead.
While most short-term visas expired on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs had extended the validity of medical visas until April 29. Many Pakistani citizens leaving India voiced distress and urged Indian authorities to reconsider the decision, especially in cases involving families and long-term residents.
Samreen, a Pakistani woman present at the border, said she arrived in India in September on a 45-day visa and subsequently married an Indian national. “I haven’t received my long-term visa yet, and now I’ve been asked to leave. Why are we being punished for the actions of terrorists? Those with family in India should be allowed to stay,” she said.
Another Pakistani national, Ira, who has been married in Delhi for over a decade, echoed similar sentiments. “My visa expired during COVID. I hold a NORI visa, but now I’m being forced to return due to the Pahalgam attack. What happened was wrong, but innocent families shouldn’t have to suffer for it.”
Krishan Kumar, a tourist returning to Pakistan, said, “I came here on a 45-day visa and now we’re going back. The government should act against terrorism, but people with families across borders shouldn’t be caught in the middle.”
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a formal statement on Friday, revoking all categories of visas for Pakistani nationals — except diplomatic, official, and long-term visas — with immediate effect from April 27. Medical visas remained valid until April 29.
Protocol officer Arun Pal confirmed that over the past three days, 537 Pakistani nationals have departed India via the Attari border. Simultaneously, 850 Indian nationals have returned from Pakistan, including 116 on Sunday alone.
The visa restrictions come in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, which has been described as the deadliest terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. The government has since initiated sweeping security and diplomatic measures in response.
