272 Pakistanis Exit India via Attari Border as Visa Deadline Ends
Around 272 Pakistani nationals have exited India via the Attari-Wagah border ahead of the government’s deadline for short-term visa holders to leave following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Nearly 272 Pakistani nationals left India through the Attari-Wagah border over the past two days, and more are expected to exit today as the deadline for 12 categories of short-term visa holders concludes, officials said. This move comes after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
Simultaneously, 629 Indian nationals, including 13 diplomats and officials, have returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing in Punjab.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued ‘Leave India’ notices to Pakistani nationals holding visas in categories such as business, journalist, student, visitor, and group tourist. The deadline for Saarc visa holders ended on April 26, while those with medical visas must leave by April 29.
“Only those holding long-term, diplomatic, or official visas have been exempted,” an official clarified.
Officials noted that the highest number of Pakistani nationals on short-term visas were residing in Maharashtra, estimated at around 1,000. State minister Yogesh Kadam confirmed that all were asked to leave immediately. Maharashtra also hosts about 5,050 Pakistanis with long-term visas, mainly concentrated in cities like Nagpur, Thane, and Jalgaon.
In Telangana, 208 Pakistanis were residing, mostly in Hyderabad. Of them, 156 had long-term visas, and the rest have begun exiting, officials said. In Kerala, all five Pakistani nationals on tourist or medical visas have left, with only long-term visa holders remaining.
Other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh reported similar actions to ensure compliance. Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar confirmed that the process of sending back short-term visa holders was complete, with one final departure scheduled for April 30.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally called Chief Ministers to ensure swift compliance with the exit orders. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan also held a video conference with state chief secretaries to monitor the situation closely.
A senior official stated, “It is being ensured that no Pakistani short-term visa holder stays in India beyond the notified deadline.”
Relations between the two neighbors have sharply deteriorated since the Pahalgam attack, with India canceling visas and Pakistan retaliating with suspension of bilateral agreements. The visa expulsions are seen as a part of India’s broader response to the terror strike.
The situation continues to evolve, with the government maintaining a tight watch on the departure of all Pakistani nationals under the ‘Leave India’ order.
