Exit deadline over: 509 Pakistani nationals leave India within three days

New Delhi/ Guwahati, April 28: As many as 509 Pakistan nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India in three days beginning on Friday through the Attari-Wagah border point as the exit deadline for the 12 categories of short-term visa holders of the neighbouring nation ended on Sunday, officials said.

A total of 745 Indians, including 14 diplomats and officials, returned from Pakistan through the international border crossing located in Punjab.

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.

Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, following a campaign meeting in Dibrugarh told the press that there is only case of Pakistan national in Assam, who is residing in Tinsukia district.

Sarma also noted that his government has sought clarification from the Government of India on whether or not she should be sent back.

“We have only one Pakistani citizen from Tinsukia district. She is married a to a local family. She has applied for long-term visa. We have requested Government of India to clarify whether or not she should be sent back. That is the only one case; otherwise, we do not have any Pakistani national in Assam,” the Chief Minister told the press.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Friday called up the Chief Ministers of all States and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.

Officials said that 237 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats and officials, left India through the Attari-Wagah border post on Sunday, 81 left on April 26 and 191 on April 25.

Similarly, 116 Indians, including one diplomat, returned from Pakistan on Sunday through the international land border crossing, 342 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, came back from Pakistan on April 26 and 287 Indians crossed over on April 25, officials said

Some of the Pakistanis might have left India through airports too, they said, pointing out that since India does not have direct air connectivity with Pakistan, they might have left for other countries.

The deadline for exiting India for those holding SAARC visas was April 26. For those carrying medical visas, the deadline is April 29.

The 12 categories of visas whose holders have to leave India by Sunday are - visa on arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, conference, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim and group pilgrim.

Three Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared Persona Non Grata and they were given one week to leave India. Five support staff of these defence attaches were also asked to leave India.

India has also withdrawn its defence attache from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. However, those having long-term and diplomatic or official visas were exempted from the 'Leave India' order.

At the Attari border in Amritsar district, vehicles queued up as Pakistani nationals hurried to cross over to their country. Many Indians came to bid farewell to their relatives, the pain of separation evident on their faces.

Sarita and her family had come to India for a kin's wedding set for April 29. "We came to India after nine years." She, her brother and her father are Pakistanis while her mother is an Indian national. "They (authorities at Attari) are telling us they will not allow my mother to go along. My parents got married in 1991. They are saying Indian passport holders will not be allowed," she said, crying bitterly.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Friday called up the Chief Ministers of all States and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.

– With inputs from news agencies