Terror attack fallout: Families torn apart at Indo-Pak border

Cries of separation echo at the Attari-Wagah border as families are torn apart following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Visa revocations and tightened border controls have left Indian mothers and children with Pakistani citizenship heartbroken and stranded.

Rising heartbreak after terror

Fences that once simply divided nations are now ripping apart families. The aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, is being felt not just in geopolitical corridors, but among ordinary people at the Atharivaga border.

Also Read: 48 tourist spots shut after terror warning

As visa regulations tighten, families — especially Indian women married to Pakistani men — are being forcibly separated. Many mothers are left behind while their children are taken across the border.

"My children are Pakistani nationals. I have been married there for 20 years. Why is my entry banned? What have I done? How will my children live without their mother?" pleaded one distraught mother at the border.

Mothers separated from children

The human cost is most visible in the desperate pleas of mothers and the cries of children. "We are not leaving them. They should send our mother along with us," cried a heartbroken family.

Visa revocations are affecting not just mothers and children, but also elderly people and those with medical conditions, leaving them stranded without caretakers.

"I have left my wife. My child is paralyzed. They are crying all night. My heart is breaking," said another anguished man as he recounted the ordeal.

Deadlines extended for few

In a minor relief, deadlines for diplomatic, official, medical, and long-term visas have been extended until April 29. Child tourists from Pakistan have also received an extension until the same date.

Also Read: Onus of Pahalgam massacre is on Centre, but Omar will bear the brunt

However, those with business, pilgrimage, and tourist visas have been ordered to leave the country soon, heightening the humanitarian crisis at the border.

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