Attari, April 26
A heart-wrenching scene unfolded at the Attari border on Saturday, where two Indian citizens from Maharashtra waited anxiously to be reunited with their wives and children stranded in Pakistan. Their emotions were caught in a painful tug-of-war between diplomatic tensions and the deep bonds of family.
Vikram Udasi, who travelled all the way from Jalgaon, stood at the border with hope in his eyes and helplessness in his voice. He came to receive his Pakistani wife and their four-year-old son.
“My son has an Indian passport, but his mother’s Pakistani passport means she can’t cross without a visa,†Udasi said. “How can the son come without the mother?†he asked, his voice trembling with despair.
Alongside him was Rishi Kumar Jesrani from Kolhapur, whose wife Savita hails from Balochistan. Jesrani shares a similar ordeal. His sons, both holding Indian passports, are stuck in Pakistan.
“I fear that if they are held at the Pakistani border, they might be considered Pakistani citizens,†he said with teary eyes.
“We wrote to the Foreign Minister last night, but haven’t received a reply.â€
Both families have pleaded for urgent government intervention, asking for their cases to be considered on humanitarian grounds. Their plight underscores the emotional cost of strained diplomatic relations and border politics.
This distressing situation coincides with rising bilateral tensions. In response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, India has suspended all visa services for Pakistani nationals and revoked existing visas — including those issued for medical reasons.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs said all existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals will stand revoked with effect from Sunday, April 27.
All medical visas issued to citizens of that country will also be valid only till Tuesday, April 29, it said, adding that all Pakistanis currently in India must leave before their visas expire based on these revised timelines.
- IANS