Pakistan Opens Attari-Wagah Border to Repatriate Citizens After Visa Cancellations
Pakistan reopened the Attari-Wagah border on Friday, facilitating the return of its citizens stranded in India after New Delhi cancelled their visas following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Islamabad resumed movement through the Attari-Wagah border after a day-long closure left many Pakistani nationals stuck on the Indian side, despite India’s readiness to facilitate their departure. Several among those stranded included elderly visitors and families on pilgrimage or visiting relatives.
The sudden gate closure on Thursday created confusion, particularly as India had clearly communicated visa termination deadlines following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, including 25 tourists and a local resident.
Suraj Kumar, a Pakistani citizen who had come to India to accompany his mother on a Haridwar pilgrimage, expressed his frustration on Thursday. “I came on a 45-day visa but was told to leave early. I reached Attari at 6 am, only to find the gates shut,” he said.
Since India’s announcement to revoke short-term visas, 125 Pakistani nationals departed via Attari-Wagah on Wednesday alone. Over the past week, 911 Pakistanis have exited the country. On the Indian side, 15 citizens with valid Pakistani visas also crossed over, bringing the total to 23.
The Indian government had set exit deadlines by visa type—April 26 for SAARC visas, April 27 for 12 other categories, and April 29 for medical visa holders. Meanwhile, 152 Indian citizens and 73 Pakistani nationals holding long-term Indian visas entered India through the Amritsar border. These figures brought the cumulative inbound total to 1,617 Indians and 224 Pakistanis.
India’s response to the Pahalgam attack extended beyond visa cancellations. The government suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, blocked Pakistani-operated flights from Indian airspace, and banned social media accounts of several Pakistani public figures.
Tensions worsened after Pakistan’s Minister Hanif Abbasi issued a veiled nuclear threat. “Our Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi missiles, along with 130 nuclear warheads, are not for show. They’re kept for India,” he warned. Abbasi said any Indian attempt to disrupt Pakistan’s water supply would lead to “full-scale war.”
