Pak citizens head home; no tangible change in bus, train occupancy
ATTARI (AMRITSAR) : Amid tension between India and Pakistan in view of the recent Pulwama terror attack that killed as many as 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, most of the Pakistani nationals who reached at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the Attari-wagah border on Friday looked desperate to return to their country.
The Pulwama attack has not only impacted the trade between the two neighbours, it has also given way to a sense of insecurity among the Pakistani citizens visiting India, especially in view of the threats being received by Kashmiri students across the country.
Hufaiz, 40, from Karachi came to India on February 8 through the Jodhpur border check post to meet his relatives in Rajasthan and planned to stay there for a few more days, but he cut short his trip fearing backlash. “I wanted to stay here for more days but I had to change my plan. Actually, I also wanted to visit some other places. However, I decided to leave after watching a video on Youtube in which Pakistanis are being asked to leave India within 48 hours,” he said as he entered the ICP.
Notably, district magistrate in Rajasthan’s Bikaner had issued an order asking hotels and lodges in the district not to take bookings from Pakistani citizens.
After being dropped by a taxi at the gate of the ICP, the family members of Feroz Ahmed, 55, who also hails from Karachi, were thrilled on their way back. He was accompanied by his wife and son. “We want to return to our country at the earliest,” said Feroz.
But Shankar Lal from Sindh province didn’t see any threat, saying he was secure in India.
BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR SADA-E-SARHAD, SAMJHAUTA
The authorities, however, did not let this correspondent talk to the passengers of cross-border bus ‘Sada-esarhad’ of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, which runs between Lahore and New Delhi.
Official sources said there was no impact on the bus occupancy, however, Amit Dixit, a vendor at Attari, said he could see a minor dip in the number of passengers coming from Pakistan.
On Thursday, 50 people came from Pakistan and 44 went back through the Samjhauta Express, as per railway records.
However, the average daily count of people travelling by this train is 80. This train runs from Lahore to Delhi via Attari border every Monday and Thursday.
Arvind Gupta, superintendent at the Attari railway station, said fluctuation in the number of passengers is routine.