Terror Attack: Pakistanis, Indians Start Returning through Attari Border, Ceremony Scaled down

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Apr 24: Cutting short their trips, the Pakistani nationals in India and Indians visiting Pakistan started returning to their respective countries through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) via the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar on Thursday.

The move followed the 48-hour deadline India issued on Wednesday night with the Cabinet Committee on Security at its meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi deciding to close down the Attari-Wagah gates as one of the measures in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday evening.

Several Pakistani nationals began returning home on Thursday via the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar. The departures came just a day after the government issued the directive amid heightened tensions.

A family from Karachi shared that they had travelled to Delhi to visit relatives. “We came here (India) on April 15 and today we are returning home though we had a visa for 45 days,” one of the family members said. When asked about the Pahalgam terror attack, the Pakistani national responded, “Whosoever has done it is completely wrong. We want mutual brotherhood and friendship between the two nations.”

Another Pakistani visitor, Mansoor, said he had arrived in India with his family on April 15 on a 90-day visa. “But we are returning home today,” Mansoor said, condemning the Pahalgam attack and saying it should never have happened.

Some Indian nationals also arrived at the ICP on Thursday, including a family from Gujarat with valid visas to travel to Pakistan.

They planned to visit relatives in Karachi. “We got the visa two months back,” said an elderly member of the family. However, upon learning that the Attari land-transit post had been shut, the elderly man said they were ready to return home if instructed to do so.

Meanwhile, two men from Rajasthan, who arrived in Amritsar on Wednesday evening intending to cross into Pakistan, said they were unaware of the closure of the Attari land-transit facility.

As per the CCS decision, those who have already crossed into Pakistan with valid documents will be allowed to return via the same route before May 1 while the Pakistani nationals in India have been directed to return home within 48 hours.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistani nationals will no longer be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Those currently in India under this scheme have been given 48 hours to leave the country.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms, expressing its profound condolences to the families of the victims and extending heartfelt wishes for the swift recovery of those who were injured. During the briefing to the CCS, officials highlighted the cross-border linkages involved in the execution of the terrorist attack, underlining the broader implications of the incident.

During the evening, the customary change of guards the “Retreat Ceremony” at the Attari – Wagah border was scaled down by the Border Security Forces (BSF) as per the CCS decision to close down the land route.

“In the wake of the recent tragic attack in Pahalgam, a calibrated decision has been taken to scale down the ceremonial display during the Retreat Ceremony at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki in Punjab,” the BSF said on Thursday.

The key changes include – Suspension of the symbolic handshake of Indian Guard Commander with the counterpart Guard Commander. And the gates remained closed during the ‘beating the retreat’ ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border. The BSF guards India’s international border with Pakistan while the Indian Army guards the Line of Control in J&K.

Meanwhile, Hyder Shah, father of a 30-year-old ‘ponywallah,’ the only Muslim to be killed by the terrorists when he attempted to snatch away the firearms of an attacker, said he felt proud because of his son’s sacrifice to save tourists he ferried to the meadow.

The deceased’s father stood inconsolable when the chief minister hugged him to share grief and express solidarity. “I am very proud of him and his sacrifice. I am alive because of the pride I am feeling. Otherwise, I would have died the moment I saw his young, dead body. I am happy because of his bravery. Some people were saved because of him, and I am proud of it,” Hyder Shah said on Thursday.