Several Indians married to Pakistani nationals were left stranded at the Attari-Wagah border after being denied entry into Pakistan by Indian authorities, amid heightened tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite holding valid Indian passports and travel documents, these women were not permitted to cross over by the Border Security Force (BSF). This occurred even as 287 Pakistani nationals exited India within the 48-hour deadline set by the Centre in the wake of the attack. Additionally, 191 Indian citizens returned from Pakistan.
Among the stranded was Washin Jahangir, 38, who had travelled to India from Pakistan for asthma treatment along with her sister and two nieces. While their daughters—Pakistani nationals—were allowed to return, the women were stopped. Jahangir, whose husband and two sons are waiting across the border, said, “I have partial Pakistani nationality and all required documents, yet I’ve been stopped. We rushed here from Jodhpur after the announcement, spending nearly ₹1 lakh.”
Another woman, Wajida Khan from Jodhpur, shared a similar ordeal. Married in Pakistan for a decade and mother to two Pakistani children aged 7 and 8, Khan said, “I was forced to send my children back alone. We have no ties to terrorism. Why are we being punished?”
Reports also indicated that Pakistani authorities reciprocated by not allowing women holding Pakistani passports to cross into India.
Meanwhile, Pakistani nationals in India for medical reasons were left disheartened. Fida Hussain, who had arrived on April 22 for a liver transplant in Delhi, said, “I struggled to get my visa, spent heavily for treatment, and now all plans are ruined due to the sudden diplomatic fallout.”
The restrictions come amid escalating Indo-Pak tensions, with India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, expelling Pakistani officials, and tightening cross-border movement in response to the Pahalgam massacre.
