Amid growing tensions between Pakistan and India, the deadline granted by Indian authorities for Pakistani citizens to leave India has expired. Over the past three days, 536 Pakistanis have returned home, while 849 Indian nationals have crossed back into India from Pakistan.
Despite the ongoing exodus, the issue concerning Pakistani and Indian citizens holding long-term visas remains unresolved. Families on both sides of the border continue to wait anxiously, hoping for a safe return to their homes.
On Sunday alone, 236 Pakistanis arrived back from India, while 115 Indian nationals returned home from Pakistan. Cumulatively, 536 Pakistanis and 849 Indians have crossed the borders over the last three days.
However, the situation has become increasingly complicated for individuals who have married across the borders — Pakistani citizens married to Indians and vice versa. Many of these individuals, currently separated from their families, face severe difficulties in returning due to the ongoing political tensions.
Sources within Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Indian citizens married in Pakistan, holding long-term Pakistani visas but currently stranded in India, must approach the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to seek assistance. Nevertheless, it ultimately depends on Indian authorities whether they permit the return of their passport holders to Pakistan.
Scenes of distress are evident at both Attari and Wagah borders. At Attari, several Indian women married to Pakistani men, along with their children, await reunification. Conversely, at Wagah, Pakistani women whose husbands and children are Indian nationals, are waiting for clearance to return to India.
Meanwhile, fueled by war hysteria, Indian authorities have ordered farmers in Punjab's border districts to vacate their fields within 48 hours.
According to reports, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has issued loudspeaker announcements across villages in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka districts, instructing farmers to harvest their crops and clear the fields immediately. The BSF has warned that after the deadline, all gates installed along the border fencing will be sealed.
In contrast, life remains calm and orderly in Pakistan's border districts, including Lahore, Sialkot, Narowal, and Kasur. Courageous and resilient Pakistani farmers continue their daily routines undeterred.
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