New Delhi: Around 272 Pakistani nationals have left India in the past two days through the Attari-Wagah border point, and a few hundred more are expected to exit Sunday when the deadline for the 12 categories of short-term visa holders of the neighbouring nation ends, an official said.
As many as 629 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, have 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 April 22.
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.
However, those having long-term and diplomatic or official visas were exempted from the ‘Leave-India’ order.
According to officials, 191 Pakistani nationals left India through the Attari-Wagah border April 25 and 81 more exited April 26.
As many as 287 Indians crossed into India from Pakistan April 25, and altogether 342 Indians, including 13 diplomats and officials, returned from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border April 26, 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.
Officials said the highest number of Pakistanis with short-term visas were staying in Maharashtra. Their number was pegged at around 1,000, they said. The state’s minister, Yogesh Kadam Saturday said the 1,000 Pakistani nationals with short-term visas have been asked to leave India.
Around 5,050 Pakistani citizens have been living in Maharashtra, and most of them are on long-term visas. Of these, around 2,450 were in Nagpur, 1,100 in Thane, 390 in Jalgaon, 290 in Navi Mumbai, 290 in Pimpri Chinchwad, 120 in Amravati and 15 in Mumbai, officials said.
Interestingly, 107 Pakistani nationals, who were staying in Maharashtra, were untraceable, according to officials.
In the southern state of Telangana, police chief Jitender cited official records to say that as many as 208 Pakistani nationals were staying in the state, mostly in Hyderabad. Among them, 156 hold long-term visas, 13 short-term visas, and 39 were with a travel document for medical and business purposes.
There were 104 Pakistani nationals in the southern coastal state of Kerala, of whom 99 were on long-term visas. The remaining five, who were on either tourist or medical visas, have left the country.
Central India’s Madhya Pradesh had around 228 visiting Pakistani nationals, many of whom have left the country already, officials said. On the other hand, around 12 Pakistanis have been identified in Odisha, and all of them have been asked to follow the deadline set for them to leave the country.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said three Pakistani nationals, who were in the state on short-term visas, have been asked to leave.
Seven Pakistanis were in Gujarat on short-term visas — five in Ahmedabad and one each in Bharuch and Vadodara. They have either left India or are leaving by Sunday, officials said.
Besides, 438 Pakistani nationals are in the western state on long-term visas, and they include Hindus who have applied for Indian citizenship.
In the north, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said Saturday that the process of sending back all categories of Pakistani citizens visiting the state who have been ordered to leave India has been completed. One Pakistani national is still in the state, and he will depart for Pakistan April 30, the DGP said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah 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.
After Shah’s telephonic conversations with the chief ministers, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a video conference with the chief secretaries and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked must leave India by the deadline fixed.
The already strained relations between India and Pakistan nosedived further after the Pahalgam terror attack, with New Delhi announcing a raft of retaliatory steps, including the cancellation of visas, and Islamabad hitting back with a string of tit-for-tat measures.
PTI
