At least 537 Pakistanis leave India through Attari in 3 days as deadline ends for short-term visa holders

The 'Leave India' notice to the Pakistani nationals was issued by the government after 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

New Delhi: At least 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border point since April 24, while around 850 Indians have returned from the neighbouring country after the Pahalgam terror strike.

With the exit deadline for 12 categories of short-term visa holders ending on Sunday, 237 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border post on Sunday. Another 81 left on April 26, 191 on April 25, and 28 on April 24.

Some Pakistani nationals might have also left for Pakistan via air through a third country, as India does not have direct air connectivity.

India had revoked visas of Pakistanis, barring those with long-term visas as well as those for officials and diplomats, after the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed.

Officials said 850 Indians, including 14 diplomats and officials, have returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing located in Punjab since April 24. Pakistan had also asked Indians to leave the country.

They said 116 Indians, including one diplomat, returned from Pakistan on Sunday through the international land border crossing, while 342 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, came back on April 26. Another 287 Indians returned on April 25, while 105 came back on April 24.

In Maharashtra, there are around 5,050 Pakistani nationals, of which around 1,000 have short-term visas and have been asked to leave the country. The Bihar government said 19 Pakistanis in the state have left well before the April 27 deadline.

In Telangana, there are 208 Pakistani nationals — 156 held long-term visas, 13 short-term visas, and 39 with medical and business visas. Of the 104 Pakistani nationals in Kerala, 99 have long-term visas and the remaining five with tourist or medical visas have left.

Madhya Pradesh officials said they have 228 visiting Pakistani nationals, and many of them have already left. In Odisha, 12 Pakistanis were located, and in Goa, there are three.

Seven Pakistanis were in Gujarat on short-term visas — five in Ahmedabad and one each in Bharuch and Vadodara — and were in the process of leaving the country. In Gujarat, there are 438 Pakistani nationals with long-term visas, including Hindus who have applied for Indian citizenship.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said the process of sending back all categories of Pakistani citizens who have been ordered to leave India has been completed. One Pakistani national is still in the state, and he will depart for Pakistan on April 30, he said.

(With PTI inputs)