MHA relaxes deadline for Pakistanis to exit India until further orders

New eDelhi|May,!: In a relief for Pakistani nationals staying in India, the Centre has allowed them to return via the Wagah-Attari border until further orders. The latest Home Ministry order modifies its previous direction that said the border would be closed on April 30.
“The order has been reviewed and, in partial modification, it is now ordered that Pakistani nationals may be allowed to exit India to go into Pakistan from the Integrated Check Post at Attari till further orders, with due clearance,” the latest order said. It comes as a breather for scores of those who have been stranded at the border after the deadline ended on April 30.In the six days since the Centre’s direction, as many as 786 Pakistani nationals, including 55 diplomats and their support staff, left India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing. From Pakistan, 1,465 Indians have crossed over to India. The directive came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri local were shot dead by Pakistan-based terrorists.
While those holding short-term and SAARC visas were directed to leave by April 27, the deadline for those carrying medical visas was April 29. Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stayed in India beyond the set deadline. The move has torn apart several families and separated mothers from their children. Several Pakistanis living in India for the past 30–40 years were also among those deported, triggering appeals from welfare groups and politicians to exempt certain categories. Earlier this week, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti urged the Centre to reconsider its decision to deport those Pakistani nationals who have been married to Indians. “Many affected are women who came to India 30–40 years ago, married Indian citizens, raised families, and have long been part of our society,” the PDP chief said in a post on X, asserting that it raised “serious humanitarian concerns”.