Pakistan announced the reopening of the Attari-Wagah border on Friday to facilitate the crossing of Pakistani citizens stranded in India. The move comes after India revoked visas of Pakistanis after the Pahalgam attack.
The Attari-Wagah border, located along Lahore in Pakistan and Amritsar in Punjab, was shut on Thursday.
The Indian government issued a 'Leave India' notice to Pakistani nationals following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed at least 26 civilians. The attack was linked to terrorists with alleged connections to Pakistan.
Under the directives from the centre, those holding SAARC visas were required to leave by April 26. For medical visa holders, the deadline was April 29, while for other visa categories like film, education and tourism the deadline was April 27.
By April 30, 911 Pakistanis left India through the border, with 125 people leaving on Wednesday alone.
With the closure of the border on Thursday, neither Indian nor Pakistani nationals were allowed to cross over. As many as 70 Pakistani nationals were reportedly stranded at the border on Thursday. The spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) acknowledged the stranded Pakistani citizens which included children.
"We are aware of the media reports indicating that some Pakistani nationals are stranded at Attari. We are open to receiving our citizens in case the Indian authorities allow them to cross the border from their side,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said the border would remain open for Pakistani citizens in the future.
