Teenage Sarita stood at the Attari border on Sunday, crying uncontrollably as she shared her distress. "My mother's an Indian, and she is not being allowed to accompany us to Pakistan," she sobbed, unsure when she would see her mother again.
Sarita, along with her brother and father, was among the hundreds of Pakistani nationals lined up at the border point, trying to leave India as the exit deadline loomed. The deadline for Pakistani nationals visiting India on SAARC visas ended on April 26, while the deadline for other Pakistani nationals, except those holding medical visas, was set for Sunday, April 27.
The situation escalated amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals remain valid until April 29.
At the Attari border in Amritsar district, vehicles queued up, and emotions ran high as Pakistani nationals scrambled to cross back into their homeland. Many Indians came to bid farewell to their relatives from Pakistan, with the pain of separation evident among the crowd.
Sarita explained that her family had come to India for a wedding scheduled for April 29. "We came to India after nine years," she said. While Sarita, her brother, and father are Pakistani nationals, her mother is an Indian citizen.
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Sarita continued, "They (the authorities at Attari) are telling us they won’t allow my mother to go along. My parents married in 1991, and they are saying Indian passport holders are not allowed to travel with Pakistani nationals." As she spoke, she was visibly distraught, unable to hold back her tears.
Several other Pakistani nationals at the border shared similar stories. Many had come to visit relatives or attend weddings, only to be forced to leave prematurely due to the ongoing tensions. A man from Jaisalmer recalled the bittersweet farewell to his maternal relatives.
"My maternal uncle, aunt, and their children came to visit us after 36 years, but now they have to rush back ahead of the deadline," he said. The family arrived on April 15 with a 45-day visa, but the unforeseen situation meant they had little time to visit all their relatives.
India has warned that any foreign nationals who fail to leave the country by the specified deadline will face legal action under the newly enacted Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Janam Raj, a 70-year-old man from Peshawar, had arrived in India on a 45-day visa to visit relatives. "I came three weeks ago on my first visit to the country, and look how it turned out," he said, his voice filled with regret.
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In a separate exchange, Mohd Arif, a Delhi resident, was at the border to drop off his aunt. He condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, calling the perpetrators "murderers of humanity" and demanded that they be "publicly hanged." His sentiment echoed that of many others who were deeply disturbed by the brutality of the attack.
Mohd Salim, a Pakistani national from Karachi, was also at the border to return home after spending time in India on a 45-day visa. He, too, was caught up in the aftermath of the attack, which forced him and his fellow citizens to leave in haste.
Gurbax Singh, from Buner in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, arrived in India on April 15. "Half of my extended family, including my cousins, live in India. What happened in Pahalgam is utterly reprehensible. The terrorists murdered humanity, but now, it’s the common people who have to bear the brunt," he said.
Gurbax also pointed out that many Pakistani nationals who had come to India for medical treatment were now forced to leave prematurely, adding to the already mounting frustrations.
The already strained relations between India and Pakistan worsened following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which New Delhi linked to Pakistani establishments. In the wake of the attack, India swiftly announced several retaliatory measures, including the cancellation of visas, while Islamabad responded with similar actions.
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