Pakistan reopens Wagah border on humanitarian grounds

Pakistan reopens border briefly after April 30 closure to allow stranded citizens to cross amid rising tensions.

Listen to article

LAHORE:

Pakistan reopened the Wagah-Attari border crossing on Friday to facilitate the return of stranded Pakistani citizens from India, citing humanitarian concerns. A total of 27 Pakistani nationals returned via the border, though no Indian citizens were reported to have crossed back into India.

The border had been closed on April 30 due to heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries. However, reports of citizens from both sides being stranded at the border prompted Pakistani authorities to temporarily reopen the crossing.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, many Pakistanis returned from India in critical condition after their visas were suddenly cancelled by Indian authorities, forcing them to abandon ongoing medical treatments. The abrupt visa revocations have also led to the separation of families, including cases where children have been separated from their parents.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness to receive its returning citizens, provided that Indian authorities cooperate. “The Wagah border will remain open for the repatriation of Pakistani nationals,” the spokesperson stated.

Despite the repatriation of 27 Pakistanis on Friday, no Indian citizen has been reported to have crossed back into India. Border officials confirmed that as of May 2, a total of 1,035 Pakistani citizens have returned from India, while 1,575 Indian nationals have gone back to India from Pakistan.

Among the worst affected are families with cross-border marriages. On Friday, an elderly woman from Karachi waited anxiously for her daughter’s return from India. She revealed that her daughter had been forcibly sent back by Indian authorities without her one-year-old grandson. “What kind of policy separates a mother from her child?” she lamented.

Najm-ul-Hassan, a returning Pakistani citizen from New Delhi, alleged that Indian police are rounding up Pakistanis and forcing them to leave. He said his wife and child remain in India while he was deported alone.

The ongoing diplomatic strain continues to have a deeply personal impact on families divided by borders, and humanitarian concerns remain at the forefront of Pakistan’s call for cooperation in facilitating the safe return of its citizens.