Pakistani nationals leave India as border deadline expires amid tensions
According to local reports, some individuals arrived at the crossing on their own, while others were escorted by police for deportation
Dozens of Pakistani nationals residing in India have begun departing for the Attari-Wagah border, following the Indian government's directive for nearly all Pakistani citizens to leave the country in the aftermath of last week's deadly attack in Pahalgam.
The deadline for Pakistani citizens to leave India — excluding those on medical visas — passed on Sunday, yet many families were still rushing to the Attari border crossing in northern Punjab to make their way back to Pakistan, before being forcibly deported, reports AP.
According to local reports, some individuals arrived at the crossing on their own, while others were escorted by police for deportation.
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"We have settled our families here. We request the government not to uproot our families," said Sara Khan, a Pakistani national who was ordered to return to Pakistan without her husband, Aurangzeb Khan, an Indian passport holder.
Standing at the Indian side of the Attari border, Khan held her 14-day-old baby in her arms. She said that she had undergone a caesarean section recently and that her long-term visa was valid until July 2026, yet authorities gave her no time to recover.
"They [authorities] told me you are illegal and you should go," said Khan, who has been residing in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 2017.
"They gave us no time. I could not even change my shoes," she added.
The move comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which intensified following the Pahalgam incident that claimed 26 lives.
