Scores of Pakistani citizens in India have headed to the main land crossing between India and Pakistan after New Delhi ordered almost all Pakistanis to leave the country in light of last week's deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The deadline for Pakistani nationals to leave the country (excluding those in India on medical visas) expired on Sunday, but many families are still trying to reach the Indian side of the border at Attari in northern Punjab state to cross into Pakistan.
Some arrived on their own, while others were deported by police.
“We have established our families here. We appeal to the government not to evict our families,” said Sara Khan, a Pakistani national who was forced to return to Pakistan without her husband Aurangzeb Khan, who holds an Indian passport.
While waiting on the Indian side of the border crossing, Ms Khan held her 14-day-old baby in her arms.
She noted that Indian authorities did not give her time to recover from the Caesarean section and that her long-term visa is valid until July 2026.
“They (the authorities) told me I was illegal and had to leave,” said Ms Khan, who has lived in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 2017.
“They didn't give us time. I didn't even have time to change my shoes.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan have risen after gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, near the popular resort town of Pahalgam in disputed Kashmir.
At least three surviving tourists told the Associated Press (AP) that the attackers singled out Hindu men and shot them at point-blank range.
The victims included a Nepalese citizen and a local Muslim pony rider.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
