The Attari-Wagah border crossing point between India and Pakistan was shut completely on Thursday following a week-long heavy rush of people from either side to cross over after the Union government ordered all Pakistani citizens with short-term visa to leave India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.
About 21 Pakistani nationals stranded at the Attari-Wagah border following the expiry of the Indian government's deadline for them to leave the country crossed over into Pakistan through the land route of the Integrated Check Post on Friday, officials said. In wake of last week's Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government cancelled all types of visas granted to Pakistani nationals and ordered them to leave by April 30. The Attari-Wagah border, located near Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan, was shut on Thursday after being kept open till April 30. According to reports, about 70 Pakistani nationals were stranded at the border on Thursday after the deadline for them to leave India expired a day earlier. The 21 Pakistani nationals who entered Pakistan till 12 pm on Friday had been camping on the roads outside the Integrated Check Post. About 50 more Pakistani nationals are queuing outside the Integrated Check Post and may be allowed to cross over into Pakistan after due clearance of customs and immigration authorities. Pakistan on Friday announced it would continue to allow the use of the Wagah border crossing for its citizens stranded in India.
Several Pakistani nationals visiting India started returning home through the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar on Thursday, a day after the Centre set a 48-hour deadline for them to leave the country. The decision came after India announced a raft of measures, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960, and the immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the horrific terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians on Tuesday.
"Pakistani officials told us you are Hindu, you cannot go with a Sikh jatha," said Amar Chand, who was sent back along with six of his family members after they crossed over to the neighbouring nation to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.
As India's deadline for Pakistani citizens to leave the country passed, chaotic scenes unfolded at the Attari-Wagah land crossing in Punjab.
Export from India through Attari-Wagah border fell by 17 per cent in value terms and 30 per cent in volume during April till November in the current fiscal, due to recessionary pressure.
During the 'lowering of flags' before sunset, the stern expression on the faces of the Border Security Force jawans might lead a first-time visitor to think it's because of the tension at the line of control two days earlier.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has shot dead a Pakistani intruder along the International Border in Punjab. The man was shot during the intervening night of May 7-8 in the Ferozepur sector, officials said. He was found crossing the International Border purposefully in the dark.
'Only those who live through these situations understand the true cost of war.'
Purnam Kumar Shaw, a BSF jawan who was held captive in Pakistan for nearly three weeks, returned to his home in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Friday evening. Shaw was greeted by his family and well-wishers at Howrah station and was escorted to his hometown Rishra, where he was welcomed by people and a band playing patriotic tunes. Shaw had been taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers on April 23, after he inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab's Ferozepur district.
Pakistan on Wednesday handed over Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, apprehended on April 23, to India via the Attari-Wagah border front in Punjab, the force said.
The Border Security Force on Friday said it has killed seven terrorists who were trying to infiltrate from across the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu, and also destroyed a Rangers post.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said that the chances of conflict with India were increasing with the passage of time despite efforts by different countries to defuse the tensions between the two neighbours.
Emphasising that human rights are the most sacrosanct component of a human life, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ordered the Union Home Ministry to facilitate the return of a woman deported to Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Olympic medallist Saina also attended the Beating Retreat ceremony, a daily flag-lowering ceremony jointly conducted by the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah border, the border outpost located between Amritsar and Lahore.
The exit deadline for Pakistani nationals visiting India on SAARC visas ended on April 26, while for the rest, except those on medical visas, it is set to close on Sunday, April 27 amid escalating tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Chawdhary announced this after laying a wreath at the Amar Prahari memorial at the BS Headquarters in Jammu in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.
Following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, India has ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country within 48 hours. This has led to a mass exodus of Pakistani citizens from India, while several women married to Pakistani nationals and holding Indian passports are facing difficulties returning to their families in Pakistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said on Friday that the ceasefire with India was holding and the country is committed to it. He also said that Pakistan is committed to making the ceasefire hold and de-escalation succeed, and then engagement to lead to stability and resolution of issues. Khan said that the two militaries have a channel of communication through the Directors General of Military Operations, through which they are working for de-escalation, in terms of the movement of troops. He added that Pakistan remains committed to the ceasefire announced on May 10 and lately, both sides have taken steps for de-escalation and return of stability.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has scaled down the retreat ceremony held at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The BSF's Punjab frontier said it was suspending the symbolic handshake of the Indian guard commander with the counterpart and the border gates will remain closed during the ceremony. The move is seen as a response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
A police officer and his eight siblings, including five sisters, were deported to Pakistan on Wednesday despite a court order granting them temporary relief. The nine members of the extended family, who have been living in Jammu and Kashmir for generations, were among more than two dozen people, mostly from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who were served deportation notices following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The deportation has sparked outrage, with protests and appeals for intervention from the home minister and lieutenant governor. The family members claim they are not Pakistani nationals and have been living in the region for generations, presenting revenue records to support their claims. The court has ordered a detailed report on the case within two weeks and will hear it again on May 20.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for a 'composite dialogue' with India to address the contentious issues between the two sides.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed authorities not to deport to Pakistan six members of a family, who allegedly overstayed their visa, till their citizenship claim is verified.
'I've faced my share of obstacles, but I've always believed that hard work can overcome anything.'
The family members of Border Security Force constable Purnam Kumar Shaw, who was released by Pakistan from its custody on Wednesday, expressed immense relief and gratitude to the central government and BSF authorities for securing his return.
'Where my husband lives, that is my home. I want to stay here with him'
'I believe Modiji hai toh mumkin hai.'
The United States on Thursday said it supports India's right to defend itself and its fight against terrorism as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dialled Defence Minister Rajnath Singh amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.
Hours after being dismissed from service for 'concealing' his marriage with a Pakistani woman, Central Reserve Police Force trooper Munir Ahmed said he solemnised his marriage nearly a month after getting permission from the force's headquarters last year.
For Ali, who hails from Mendhar sub-division near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the uniform is more than a job -- it's a calling. He has dedicated nearly half his life in the police force, serving its various wings with distinction and earning multiple commendations for his courage and unwavering commitment to duty.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a 418 feet national flag, the tallest in the country, at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab's Amritsar district.
The UN Security Council could meet soon to discuss the situation between India and Pakistan, with the UNSC President expressing concern over rising tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The President, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris of Greece, said a meeting would provide an opportunity to express views and help diffuse tensions. Sekeris also condemned terrorism in all its forms, including the recent attack in Pahalgam, and called for de-escalation and dialogue between India and Pakistan.
'If Pakistan has fired one bullet at us then we have to respond by firing 10 bullets at them. It is our right to do so.'
The officials of the Indian Army received the fishermen at the Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab's Amritsar.
Scenes from the Beating Retreat ceremony on Independence Day at the Attari-Wagah border featuring the Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers.
Our visa operations in Bangladesh constitute the largest visa operations India conducts worldwide. This has taken a hit after Sheikh Hasina's government was overthrown and India reduced its diplomatic presence in Bangladesh, notes Aakar Patel.
Similarly, Pakistan has shared the names of 43 civilian prisoners and 211 fishermen in its custody who are Indian or are believed-to-be-Indian, the MEA added.
India and Pakistan are the most successful teams in the tournament with three titles each.
Several candidates, including Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the BJP's Amritsar candidate, are promising resumption of India-Pakistan trade via the Attari-Wagah land route.
Singh, the joint secretary heading the division for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran in the ministry of external affairs, held talks with Taliban's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday.
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