Travel plans cut short, Pak nationals in U.P. pack their bags, some tearfully

As tensions escalated and the Centre on Thursday revoked visas of all Pakistani nationals in India, effectively giving them 72 hours or time till April 27 to leave the country in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, many of them in Uttar Pradesh cut short their plans in panic and started returning home, some of them voluntarily approaching the authorities.

- Deepak Lavania

MEERUT:

Among them, seven Pakistani nationals are returning from Bareilly and Bulandshahr districts. In view of the suddenness of her departure, a Pakistani woman Khalida reportedly burst into tears at the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) office in Bulandshahr, prompting an officer to say: "Don't worry, when the situation improves, you can come back." The woman responded, "It's very difficult now. I got the chance after 12 years. Who knows when I'll get another opportunity?"

Also in Bulandshahr, six Pakistani nationals voluntarily approached the Local Intelligence Unit office after receiving news of their visa cancellations. All of them were visiting relatives on short-term visitor visas ranging from 30 to 40 days. They promptly left for the Attari border to return home.