Amit Shah dials chief ministers, says ensure no Pakistani stays back in India

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to chief ministers over phone, asking them to ensure that no Pakistani citizen stays in India beyond the deadline set by the Centre, people familiar with the development said.

“The home minister personally called the CMs of all states and union territories to identify and inform the Centre about any overstaying Pakistani nationals so that they can be sent back to their country,” a government official said.

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Home secretary Govind Mohan also held a video conference with the chief secretaries of states and UTs to seek “strict compliance” of the orders.

The home ministry also issued a formal order under the Foreigners Act to suspend visa services extended to Pakistani nationals and revoke the visas issued earlier.

“...In exercise of the powers under section 3 (1) of foreigners act, 1946, the government has decided to suspend the visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect,” the ministry’s order said.

“All existing valid visas, except medical visas, long term visas, diplomatic and official visas, issued by government of India to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with immediate effect from April 27. Medical visa issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid up to April 29, 2025,” the order said.

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“This order will not apply to Long Term Visas (LTVs) and Diplomatic & Official Visas issued to Pakistani nationals,” the home ministry order said.

HT has reviewed a copy of the order.

It added that “no new visas will also be issued in this regard”.

According to the order, India issued visas to Pakistani nationals under 16 categories. With Friday’s order, 14 of the 16 visa categories have been revoked. The revoked visa categories are SAARC, visa on arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, medical (this visa will be revoked with effect from April 29), conference, mountaineering, student, visitor visa, group tourist visa, pilgrim visa and group pilgrim visa to minorities of Pakistan.

The government, on Thursday revoked visas issued to Pakistani citizens and advised Indians not to travel to Pakistan as part of punitive diplomatic measures over cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

The move came a day after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, shuttered the only operational land border crossing at Attari and further downgraded diplomatic relations in response to the terror attack at a scenic meadow near Pahalgam town on April 22.

It also announced that Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under the SVES visa has 48 hours to leave the country. The deadline ended on Friday.

The Indian government has decided to “suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect”, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.

“All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended. Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Pakistan. Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,” MEA added.

The ministry also clarified the revocation of visas will not apply to long term visas (LTVs) already issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals, which will remain valid. The exact number of Pakistanis holding valid Indian visas or the number of Indians currently in Pakistan could not immediately be ascertained.

Officials familiar with the development said Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and local police in states/UTs will be tracking Pakistanis who do not leave until the deadline ends, and they could be deported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India will “identify, track, and punish” every terrorist and their backers involved in the Pahalgam carnage and pursue the killers to the ends of the earth.

Later, at an all-party meeting held in Delhi, leaders across party lines called for decisive action against terrorism and terror camps, assuring the government of their full support.