Pakistan Reopens Attari-Wagah Gate, Takes Back Stranded Citizens After Visa Revocations

After nearly 24 hours of silence and a shut gate at the Attari-Wagah border, Pakistan on Friday finally allowed the return of its citizens stranded in India. The move followed India’s revocation of short-term visas granted to Pakistani nationals in the wake of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 26 people dead.

The temporary closure of the border on Thursday caused confusion and hardship for many Pakistani nationals, including elderly individuals and those visiting family members. While India had expressed readiness to facilitate the return of those whose visas were cancelled, Islamabad’s lack of response left dozens stranded on Indian soil.

Among those affected was Suraj Kumar, a Pakistani national who had brought his elderly mother on a pilgrimage to Haridwar. “I came to India ten days ago on a 45-day visa but was told to leave early. When I reached Attari at 6 am today, I found the gates shut,” he told reporters on Thursday.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have surged following the Pahalgam attack, which Indian authorities have linked to Pakistan-based terror outfits. In response, India revoked select visa categories for Pakistani nationals and issued staggered deadlines for their departure: April 26 for SAARC visas, April 27 for 12 other categories, and April 29 for medical visas.

On Wednesday, 125 Pakistani nationals exited India via the Attari-Wagah crossing, bringing the seven-day total to 911. Additionally, 15 Indian nationals holding Pakistani visas returned from across the border, raising that total to 23.

Meanwhile, inbound traffic at the Amritsar border saw 152 Indian citizens and 73 Pakistani nationals with long-term Indian visas enter the country, raising the respective totals to 1,617 and 224.

India also implemented other retaliatory measures following the Pahalgam massacre. These included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, banning Pakistani social media accounts, and closing Indian airspace to Pakistani-operated flights.

Amid these developments, Pakistani Minister Hanif Abbasi issued a stark warning to India, threatening nuclear retaliation if the water treaty was tampered with. “If India dares to block Pakistan’s water, it should prepare for full-scale war,” Abbasi declared, adding that Pakistan’s missile arsenal—Ghori, Shaheen, and Ghaznavi—was ready and its 130 nuclear warheads were “not for display”.

As geopolitical tensions remain high, Friday’s reopening of the Attari-Wagah gate provided a temporary sense of relief to those stranded. However, the broader conflict continues to escalate, with both sides trading sharp diplomatic and military warnings.

IT.