786 Pakistanis exit India; 1,465 Indians return home from Pak after visa cancellation

Escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have led to a significant movement of citizens across their shared border, with 786 Pakistani nationals departing India and 1,465 Indians returning from Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border in recent days, officials reported on Monday. This mass exodus follows reciprocal visa cancellations prompted by a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian government issued a directive for Pakistani nationals holding 12 categories of short-term visas including business, tourist, medical, and student visas to leave the country by April 27, with medical visa holders given until April 29. The order came in response to a terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, where 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. India has attributed the attack to Pakistan-linked terrorists, a claim Pakistan denies.

537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats, exited India through the Attari-Wagah border between April 24 and 27. On the final day alone, 237 individuals crossed into Pakistan. Some Pakistanis may have left via airports, potentially traveling through third countries due to the lack of direct air connectivity between the two nations.

Concurrently, 1,465 Indian citizens, including 14 diplomats, returned from Pakistan through the same border crossing during the same period. The movement included 116 Indians on April 27, 342 on April 26, 287 on April 25, and 105 on April 24. Pakistan mirrored India’s actions by canceling visas for Indian nationals and closing the Wagah border post, halting all cross-border transit except for those with valid endorsements, who were permitted to return by April 30.

The visa cancellations and border closures are part of a broader diplomatic fallout, with both nations expelling military advisors and suspending trade and airspace access. Indian authorities have warned that Pakistani nationals remaining in India beyond the visa deadlines could face legal action under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.