New Delhi: A total of 537 Pakistan nationals have left India through the Attar-Wagah border route in Amritsar in the last four days, starting on April 24. The count involves nine diplomats and officials as the exit deadline for the 12 categories of the short-term visa holders in the neighbouring country came to an end on Sunday (April 27).
According to the officials, as many as 850 Indians, including the count of 14 diplomats and officials, returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing, which is located in Punjab, in the same period aforementioned.
In the wake of the deadly terror attacks in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the central government issued a notice to Pakistan nationals to move back to their country. On April 22, the terrorists opened fire at the Baisaran meadow in the Valley, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, including two foreigners and one local.
The last batch of visitors leaving back was 237 Pakistan nationals, which included nine diplomats, leaving on Sunday via the Attari-Wagah border. The departure count on the first day (April 24) was 81, which increased to 191 on the following day (April 25), and just 28 people crossed the border from India to Pakistan on Saturday (April 26).
On the other hand, 116 Indians, including one diplomat, came back from Pakistan on Sunday through the international border crossing. The first day of the deadline saw 105 Indian returned (on April 24), with count jumping to 287 (on April 25), and 342, including 13 diplomats, on Saturday (April 26), as per the officials.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Protocol Officer at the Attari border, Arun Mahal, confirmed the count of 537 Pakistan nationals leaving India and 850 Indians returning back from the neighbouring nation. It was said that some Pakistan nationals also left through airports but the same wasn’t possible for the Indians because of lack of direct air connectivity with Pakistan.
The deadline to leave India for the ones holding SAARC visas was set on April 26 while those with medical visas will have to leavy by Tuesday (April 29). The 12 categories of visas, who were asked to leave by April 17, were visa on arrival, business, film, transit, journalist, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim and tour pilgrim.
