NEW DELHI: The Attari-Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan was completely closed on Thursday after a week of heavy cross-border public movement. The surge followed the central government's directive requiring Pakistani nationals on short-term visas to leave the country.
The order came in response to the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir 's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists, in an assault traced to Pakistan-based terrorists.
According to PTI sources, not a single person crossed the border on Thursday, marking the first day of a complete halt.
Over the past week, 911 Pakistani nationals left India, including 125 on April 30 alone. Among them were civilians, diplomats, and military staff. On April 23, government declared three senior defence advisors from the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi as persona non grata and ordered them to leave within a week, along with five support personnel.
Fifteen Indian citizens with Pakistani visas also crossed into Pakistan on April 30, bringing the total to 23. At the same time, Indian nationals continued returning from Pakistan, with 152 entering India through the Attari-Wagah border on the same day.
The mass departures were prompted by a series of deadlines issued by the Centre to 'Leave India'.
Pakistani nationals with Saarc visas were required to leave by April 26, those on medical visas by April 29, and twelve other categories -- including business, student, journalist, and tourist visas -- had until April 27 to exit. Those holding long-term, diplomatic, or official visas were exempt from the directive.
The order came in response to the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir 's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists, in an assault traced to Pakistan-based terrorists.
According to PTI sources, not a single person crossed the border on Thursday, marking the first day of a complete halt.
Over the past week, 911 Pakistani nationals left India, including 125 on April 30 alone. Among them were civilians, diplomats, and military staff. On April 23, government declared three senior defence advisors from the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi as persona non grata and ordered them to leave within a week, along with five support personnel.
Fifteen Indian citizens with Pakistani visas also crossed into Pakistan on April 30, bringing the total to 23. At the same time, Indian nationals continued returning from Pakistan, with 152 entering India through the Attari-Wagah border on the same day.
The mass departures were prompted by a series of deadlines issued by the Centre to 'Leave India'.
Pakistani nationals with Saarc visas were required to leave by April 26, those on medical visas by April 29, and twelve other categories -- including business, student, journalist, and tourist visas -- had until April 27 to exit. Those holding long-term, diplomatic, or official visas were exempt from the directive.
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