Pahalgam terror attack fallout: Attari-Wagah border sealed; Pakistani citizens turned back after 5 pm cutoff
PTC Web Desk: Following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, the Indian government has officially sealed the Attari-Wagah border from April 29 onwards. After 5 pm on Monday, no Pakistani national was allowed to cross into Pakistan through this route, and the ban will continue until further notice.
While no official count has been released, sources say 786 Pakistani nationals have returned home via the Attari border between April 24 and April 29. Contrary to expectations, the Indian government did not extend the deportation deadline further, resulting in several Pakistani citizens being turned back at the border after the 5 PM cutoff.
The Kathua Police in Jammu and Kashmir had also brought some Pakistani nationals to Attari, but due to the missed deadline, immigration officials refused to process their exit, and the police escorted them back. According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, 235 Pakistanis are currently residing in Punjab on valid visas.
The initial 48-hour expulsion notice issued on April 23 was extended twice—first to April 27, and then to April 29. Despite these extensions, not all Pakistani nationals managed to leave in time.
The government has warned that any Pakistani national remaining beyond the deadline may face arrest, up to 3 years of imprisonment, Rs 3 lakh fine, or both, under the newly enforced Immigration & Foreigners Act, 2025.
The Indian government has clarified that Long-Term Visa holders and those with No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) certificates are allowed to stay. On Monday, 70 Pakistani nationals with these credentials were granted re-entry via the Wagah border after full document verification.
One notable case was that of Shaheen, born in India, who was deported to Pakistan after 42 years. Married in Pakistan and holding a Pakistani passport, she returned to India post-divorce in 1982. Despite having an Indian passport temporarily, it was revoked. Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, she was forced to leave the country she called home for four decades.
- PTC NEWS
