Amritsar (Punjab) [India], April 25 (ANI): Following the Indian government’s decision to close the Attari border in retaliation for the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, many Pakistani nationals have been seen hastily leaving India to return to Pakistan. The government has given them 48 hours to depart, which has led to frustration among several individuals, particularly those who feel innocent civilians should not bear the consequences of such actions.
On Wednesday, India announced the closure of the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP), reducing the strength of diplomatic staff at both the Indian and Pakistani High Commissions to 30 officials each. The move also involved suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
Speaking to ANI, Hanir, a Pakistani citizen from Faisalabad, stated, “The situation is normal. There is no issue, neither there nor here. I don’t know about the attack. We were told that we must leave, so we are going back.”
A Pakistani woman, married to a man from Pakistan, shared her emotional experience. She said, “Whatever happened is not right… We were going to return after four days, but we reached here as soon as possible when we heard that we had to leave. Only the perpetrators must be punished. The common people must not suffer.”
Another Pakistani woman, en route back to her home country, expressed her frustration with the 48-hour ultimatum. “Attari is 900 km from Jodhpur. We weren’t getting buses. My husband had to bear a loss of Rs 1 lakh for the tickets. We have to reach my husband and children today, anyhow.”
She added, “I feel guilty for the terror attack, but what is the fault of the common people in it? I don’t know if they did it for Islam, but they are not my cousins. For me, both India and Pakistan are important. Some option should remain open for women married across the borders.”
An Indian citizen from Bhognipur, UP, who came to drop his Pakistani sister at the border, condemned the terror attack, emphasizing that violence is never justified. He highlighted the difficulties faced by his sister due to the abrupt closure, saying they had to bear unnecessary expenses.
The Pahalgam attack on April 22 claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, with several others injured.
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