Pahalgam attack condemnable, pure savagery: Pak nationals on
Pahalgam attack condemnable, pure savagery: Pak nationals on way back after visa suspension
Following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Pakistani nationals are now returning to their country via the Wagah-Attari border in Amritsar
ATTARI — Following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of
26 civilians, Pakistani nationals are now returning to their country via the
Wagah-Attari border in Amritsar, complying with the deadline set by Indian
authorities after visa services for Pakistanis were suspended in response to
the assault.
The brutal attack, carried out on April 22 by The
Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT),
has triggered a wave of diplomatic and public outrage in India.
In a strong retaliatory move, the Indian government
suspended visa services for Pakistani citizens, giving them until Sunday to
leave the country. Medical visas, however, remain valid until Tuesday.
Pakistan, in turn, has also suspended SAARC visas for Indian citizens.
As Pakistani citizens prepare for their departure, the
Border Security Force (BSF) at the Attari border in Punjab has ramped up
security measures. Each Pakistani national is being subjected to strict
passport verification before being allowed to cross into their country.
Authorities are maintaining tight checks to ensure orderly repatriation.
Many of those heading back expressed sorrow over the
Pahalgam killings and criticised terrorism, lamenting how such acts affect
common people. Speaking to IANS, several Pakistani nationals voiced grief and
frustration over having to cut short their visits due to the deteriorating
Indo-Pak relations.
Bali Ram Chawala, an emotional Pakistani national from
Ghotki, said, "I have just come from Raipur. I'm returning to Pakistan
now. I had a one-and-a-half-month visa. Following the recent order by PM Modi,
we are leaving accordingly. Whatever happened, whatever acts of terror
occurred, they were wrong and beyond human understanding. What they did was
absolutely wrong. We have no connection with any caste or community. They
killed an innocent person, which is pure savagery."
Another Pakistani, Daulat, returning to Karachi from
Jodhpur, said, "I had come to meet someone and attend a wedding. I had a
1.5-month visa, but now I have to leave quickly. Whatever happened (in
Pahalgam) was not good. Punishment should be given, and what else should be
done? Punishment should be given."
A Pakistani citizen from Rawalpindi, who had travelled to
Lucknow for a wedding, also condemned the attack. "The Pahalgam terror
attack is condemnable. Innocent lives were lost," he said.
Muzammil Hussain, who came to Mumbai to meet his family,
stated, "Whatever happened in Pahalgam was not right; the terrorists
should be caught and hanged."
Another individual, Baskari, voiced anguish over the
cancellation of their plans.
"We came from Muzaffarnagar for my niece's wedding
and to mourn the passing of my brother. My father is also here, our entire
family is here. Today was my niece's wedding, but despite coming from so far,
we're standing here and have been turned back even after reaching so close.
Everyone suffers because of these conflicts. We came after 10 years with a
one-and-a-half-month visa, but it's only been 15 days, and we're going back,
cutting our trip short," she said.
Her husband, Mohammad Rashid, also shared a story of
grief and disappointment.
"One reason we came was because my wife's brother
passed away, another because her brother-in-law also died, and the third reason
is my sister-in-law's daughter's wedding, which is today, the 26th. That's why
we came -- after ten years. But today, while the wedding is happening, we're
standing here at the Attari border," he said.
"Because of few individuals, many other people are
suffering," he added.
Meanwhile, Shazia, a Pakistani national who had travelled
to Allahabad to visit her parents, is currently stuck in Delhi after her visa
was cancelled. She had arrived in India six months ago and now longs to return
to her five-year-old daughter in Pakistan. With no communication from the
Pakistani embassy, her situation remains uncertain.
"I want to go back to see my child. She is just five
years old. I had come to visit my parents. We are not getting any response from
the Pakistani embassy," she told IANS.
