The Attari-Wagah border crossing point between India and Pakistan has been completely shut, PTI reported on Thurday, citing sources.
Two unidentified sources told the news agency that no one from either country crossed over to the other side on Thursday.
The Attari-Wagah border crossing point has been witnessing a heavy rush of people from either side to cross over after the Union government ordered all Pakistani citizens with short-term visas to leave India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Earlier today, a Delhi resident, whose sisters are married in Karachi, told ANI that the Pakistani side was not allowing them to cross the border.
“I came here with my sisters at 6 am. The border opens at 10 am. At 11 am, we asked the officials, and they said our government has given the order and we are sending people from here, but they (Pakistani side) are not allowing them to cross the order. We are still waiting here…” Mohammad Shariq told the news agency.
Over 900 Pakistan nationals left India
A total of 911 Pakistan nationals have left India through the international border crossing point in Punjab’s Amritsar district in the last seven days, according to PTI. About 125 Pakistani nationals left India on Wednesday alone.
Similarly, 152 Indian nationals and 73 Pakistani nationals with long-term Indian visa entered India through the border on Wednesday, taking the total number of such people to 1,617 and 224, respectively.
The Union government had revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals as tension between the two countries escalated over the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Those in possession of long-term visas were exempted from the order.
On April 25, Union home minister Amit Shah had called up the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.
The terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam was one of the deadliest attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.