Attari border closed: Tourists postpone plans, traders back PM Modi’s decision

Residents of Amritsar have lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to close the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP), among other diplomatic measures in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

They also condemned the April 22 attack that claimed 26 lives and supported the Government of India’s decision even though some of them have had to delay or cancel their plans.

A tourist from Rajasthan, Surinder Singh, said that they had come to Amritsar with the hopes of crossing the border to attend a family wedding in Pakistan, but now the plans have been postponed. “I was going to Pakistan today for my brother’s wedding, but it will be postponed now. My grandmother and her four sons stay in Pakistan, and one of her sons stays in India. The attack on tourists (in Pahalgam) was very wrong,” he said.

Shaitan Singh, a relative of Surinder expressed uncertainty about his plans. “What the terrorists have done is wrong. We are not being allowed to go (to Pakistan) as the border is closed. Let us see what happens now,” he said.

The central government has suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption scheme, giving Pakistani nationals 48 hours to return to their country.

A Pakistani national, Mohammed Jameel, also condemned the attack, saying “Khoon kisi ka bhi bahe woh galat hai (Whoever’s blood is being shed is wrong) even if it is mine, or someone else’s, everyone’s heart beats the same,” Jameel said.

At the same time, traders in Amritsar said while their business will be affected, they stand with PM Modi on the decision.

A businessman from Attari said, “The closure of the border will definitely affect business here, but the incident that has happened in Pahalgam is very wrong.”

Another trader said: “The attack on innocent tourists was wrong. We stand with the nation. Jis hisab se Modi ji desh chala rahe hain, chalane do. We stand with his decision.”

The terrorist attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday is one of the deadliest in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. In response, the Centre on Wednesday announced the closure of the Attari ICP, reducing the strength of the high commissions in India and Pakistan to 30 officials each, and suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday night: “Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.”