Lahore l
More than 1,000 Indians have returned home from Pakistan via the Wagah border over the past six days after visa cancellations following the Pahalgam terror attack, a government official confirmed on Monday.
“Over 1,000 Indians have crossed back into India through the Wagah border. Similarly, over 800 Pakistanis have returned to Pakistan by Monday,” the official said.
He added that individuals holding long-term visas from both countries are currently facing difficulties in the repatriation process.
On Sunday alone, 236 Pakistani nationals returned home, while 115 Indians crossed back into India. At Wagah, both Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) carried out thorough checks of the citizens’ papers before allowing them to proceed through immigration.
The security tightening follows the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, where terrorists opened fire in Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, killing 26 people. This was the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike of 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.
In response, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decided to shut down the Integrated Check Post at Attari immediately. The Attari-Wagah border connects Amritsar in India to Lahore in Pakistan.
Following these developments, New Delhi also cancelled the SAARC visa privileges extended to Pakistani nationals, a move quickly mirrored by Islamabad. As a result, Pakistani nationals are no longer permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), and all previously issued SVES visas stand cancelled.
In Pakistan, individuals holding long-term visas, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards, and those with ‘No Objection to Return to India’ stamps have been denied border crossing.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that all valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked as of April 27. Medical visas for Pakistani citizens will remain valid only until April 29.
Meanwhile, Islamabad has also closed the Wagah border post, cancelled visas issued to Indians under the SVES, and asked military advisers at the Indian High Commission to leave.
Pakistan further announced,
“All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception. Those who have crossed with valid endorsements may return through that route immediately but not later than April 30.”
(Input-PTI)
