114 Indians, 82 Pakistanis Safely Returned Back Their Respective Countries Via Wagah

Besides students from J&K, the returnees include those who had gone to the neighbouring country to meet their relatives or pay obeisance at religious shrines.

Amritsar: As many as 114 Indians and 82 Pakistani nationals, who have been stranded in Pakistan and India, respectively returned to their native countries via the Attari-Wagah border on 9^th July 2020.

Of the 114 Indians returned on Thursday, 35 were from Jammu and Kashmir, while the rest were from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

SOCIAL DISTANCING MAINTAINED

A Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) official at the integrated check post (ICP) in Attari, which facilitates India’s trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the movement of passengers from India to Pakistan and vice-versa, said, “A special team of doctors conducted thermal screening of all those going back to Pakistan, and returning to India, as per guidelines of the health department to contain the spread of coronavirus. Special arrangements had been made to follow the social distancing norms.”

Besides students from J&K, the returnees included those who had gone to the neighboring country to meet their relatives or pay obeisance at religious shrines.

On March 14, India had suspended cross-border movement of passengers through the Attari-Wagah border as a precautionary measure to check the spread of Covid-19. But diplomats, officials of the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations, and employment and project visa-holders were excluded from the ban. On March 19, Pakistan too closed its borders. Since then, hundreds of Pakistani nationals have been stranded in India and Indians in Pakistan.

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