Pakistani nationals leave India as tensions between the two nations escalate over Kashmir attack

ATTARI – Dozens of Pakistani nationals surviving successful India headed to the main onshore crossing betwixt India and Pakistan connected Wednesday, pursuing New Delhi’s determination to bid astir each Pakistani citizens to permission the state aft past week’s deadly onslaught successful Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The deadline for Pakistani citizens to permission the state — with exceptions for those who are connected aesculapian visas successful India — passed connected Sunday, but galore families were inactive scrambling to the Indian broadside of the borderline successful Attari municipality successful bluish Punjab authorities to transverse into Pakistan.

Some were arriving connected their ain and others were being deported by police.

“We person settled our families here. We petition the authorities not to uproot our families,” said Sara Khan, a Pakistani nationalist who was ordered backmost to Pakistan without her husband, Aurangzeb Khan, who holds an Indian passport.

Waiting connected the Indian broadside of the borderline crossing, Khan carried her 14-day-old kid successful her arms. She said Indian authorities did not springiness her immoderate clip to recuperate from a caesarean conception and that her semipermanent visa was valid until July 2026.

“They (authorities) told maine you are amerciable and you should go,” said Khan, who has been surviving successful Indian-controlled Kashmir since 2017. “They gave america nary time. I could not adjacent alteration my shoes.”

Tensions betwixt rivals India and Pakistan person escalated aft gunmen killed 26 people, astir of them Indian tourists, adjacent the edifice municipality of Pahalgam successful disputed Kashmir.

At slightest 3 tourists who survived the massacre told The Associated Press that the gunmen singled retired Hindu men and changeable them from adjacent range. The dormant included a Nepalese national and a section Muslim pony thrust operator.

India has described the massacre arsenic a “terror attack” and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan has denied immoderate transportation to the attack, which was claimed by a antecedently chartless militant radical calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.

The massacre acceptable disconnected tit-for-tat diplomatic measures betwixt India and Pakistan that included cancellation of visas and a callback of diplomats. New Delhi besides suspended a important water-sharing pact with Islamabad and ordered its borderline unopen with Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines.

As tensions escalate, cross-border firings betwixt Indian and Pakistani soldiers person besides accrued on the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates Kashmiri territory betwixt the 2 rivals.

Kashmir is divided betwixt India and Pakistan and claimed by some successful its entirety. New Delhi describes each militancy successful Indian-controlled Kashmir arsenic Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and galore Muslim Kashmiris see the militants to beryllium portion of a home-grown state struggle.

Meanwhile, India’s furniture committee connected security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met connected Wednesday. It was their 2nd specified gathering since the attack.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, successful abstracted telephone calls with India and Pakistan, stressed the request to “avoid a confrontation that could effect successful tragic consequences.” The U.S. State Department besides called for de-escalation and said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would beryllium speaking soon to the Indian and Pakistani overseas ministers.

The 2 nations person often travel to blows implicit Kashmir successful the past, but past week’s massacre has escalated tensions and Modi has repeatedly vowed to prosecute and punish the attackers.

Early Wednesday, Pakistan said it had “credible intelligence” that India intends to transportation retired subject enactment against it successful the “next 24-36 hours connected the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of engagement successful the Pahalgam incident.”

There was nary contiguous remark from Indian officials.

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Saaliq reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad contributed to this report.

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