Pakistanis under watch: Pune, Amritsar, Jalgaon tighten visa monitoring

Pune/Amritsar, April 25 (IANS) Amid heightened security concerns following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Indian authorities have taken steps to identify and monitor Pakistani nationals currently residing in India.

According to Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, 111 Pakistani citizens are presently living in Pune city.

Out of these, 91 individuals are residing on Long Term Visas (LTV) -- which are valid for up to five years -- while 20 others are in the country on visitor visas, which are typically limited to a 90-day stay. The foreigners' branch of the Pune Police Department confirmed that three Pakistani nationals have already left India in recent days.

In the wake of the cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Indian government has instructed Pakistani nationals currently in India to return to Pakistan. These individuals often travel to India to meet relatives or seek medical treatment.

According to official data, Pune is currently home to 35 men and 56 women from Pakistan living on Long Term Visas, while an additional 20 Pakistani nationals are in the city on Visitor Visas.

Meanwhile, at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar, Protocol Officer Arun Mahal confirmed the continued flow of people between the two nations.

“Just like yesterday, today (on Friday) 191 Pakistani nationals who had arrived in India on visas returned to Pakistan. Moreover, 287 Indian citizens who had travelled to Pakistan have returned home,” he said.

He noted that the number of tourists has declined amid rising tensions.

The police administration has conducted verification of Pakistani nationals currently present in Jalgaon, officials confirmed.

Ashok Nakhate, Additional Superintendent of Police said that no individual from Pakistan has entered Jalgaon on a SAARC visa.

However, 327 Pakistani nationals have arrived in the city on tourist visas.

The police also reported that 12 of these individuals have applied for an extension of their stay.

In the meantime, the police department stated that any action regarding Pakistani nationals in Jalgaon will be taken in accordance with orders received from the government.

The developments come as India has also taken a strong diplomatic stance, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, as tensions with Pakistan escalate in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident.

--IANS

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