E-Paper
461 cross Wagah border as Pakistan eases Covid norms
48 of the 56 Pakistani nationals crossing the border are NORI visa holders or people who are under no obligation to return to India
As many as 461 people, comprising 405 Indian and 56 Pakistani nationals, have crossed over to India from Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border on Monday.
These people, according to officials, had been stranded in various parts of Pakistan due to Covid-19 restrictions.
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Forty-eight of the 56 Pakistani nationals are NORI visa holders, who had gone to the neighbouring country to meet relatives. The Indian government issues NORI (no obligation to return to India) visas to Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals who leave their home country and live in India or are married in India but have not yet obtained Indian citizenship.
The officials said that among the Indians who returned are Kashmiri students. Many students from Kashmir pursue professional courses in Pakistani institutions.
The process for their return started at 11am and it continued through the day, the officials said.
“A medical team has been deployed at the integrated check post (ICP) at Attari that facilitates the movement of passengers from India to Pakistan and vice-versa. The medical team is conducting Covid-19 tests of all those crossing over,” said a Land Port Authority of India official.
Sources said India also repatriated two Pakistani prisoners through the land border on Monday afternoon. They have completed their sentence, the sources said.
