ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the rumours that authorities here had closed Wagah border to Pakistanis, FO clarified Friday (2nd May, 2025) that the crossing is and will remain open for the citizens returning from India.
“Many patients with fragile health had to return to Pakistan without completing their treatment. Furthermore, there are reports of families being split and children being separated from one of their parents,” FO stated. It may be recalled that following the killings of 26 tourists by militants in scenic Pahalgam, the two neighbouring countries are at daggers drawn.
Pakistan, that had closed the Wagah Border (a week ago) for any trade with India, allowed 150 stranded Afghan goods trucks to cross on 1st May, 2025. Four militants randomly shot 26 tourists (all men) dead in the Baisaran meadow (5km away from Pahalgam) by means of automatic guns on 22nd April. The shooting lasted 20-30 minutes.
According to details, decision makers had acknowledged a request made on 28th April, by the Afghan diplomatic mission here apropos the containers: “The ministry has the honour to inform that in view of the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the GoP has decided to permit stranded Afghan trucks, carrying goods in transit to India, which entered Pakistan before April 25, 2025, to cross Wagah Border for delivering the goods. The list of 150 trucks provided by the esteemed embassy has been transmitted to the concerned authorities,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
India had suspended Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Talking to the journalists at a Presser held in New Delhi on 23rd April, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told about the rendezvous of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) with the PM in the Chair: “In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of the elections in the union territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
“Recognising the seriousness of this terrorist attack, the CCS decided upon the following measures: the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.” According to details all those Pakistanis who entered India utilising the facility of the Saarc Visa Exemption, will have to leave within 48 hours. Others have been ordered to exit by 1st May.
“Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the Saarc Visa Exemption Scheme…The defence, military, naval and air advisers at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared persona non grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own defence, navy and air advisers from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.”
India, that has also closed Attari Border Check Post, ordered personnel associated with defense at the Pakistani diplomatic pose here to leave within a week. Expressing concern over killing of 27 tourists by unknown militants in Pahalgam area of Occupied Kashmir a day earlier, the spokesman of the Foreign Office here expressed Pakistan’s concerns Wed (23rd April, 2025).
Foreign Office of Pakistan, extending condolences to the relatives of the slain tourists, stated: “We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
Newspakistan.tv
