748 Indians stranded in Pak to return from June 25 via Wagah
Three batches, the first two with 250 persons and the remaining Indians in the third, will be returning over three days from Thursday to Saturday through the Attari-Wagah border
About 748 Indians, including 402 students from Kashmir, who were stranded in Pakistan due to the Covid-19 outbreak, will return from the Attari Wagah border, 32 km from Amritsar over three days from June 25, it has been learnt.
Three batches, the first two with 250 persons and the rest in the third, will be returning over three days from Thursday to Saturday, Amritsar administration officials have said.
A team of about six doctors will be at the border to screen them at the integrated check post (ICP) at Attari which facilitates India’s trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and movement of passengers from Pakistan to India and vice-versa.
Officials of customs, immigration, Border Security Force (BSF) and Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) have reportedly held several meetings to ensure all health department safety measures are followed while allowing the Indians back into the country.
The groups will include 402 students from Kashmir who have been studying in various universities of Pakistan. Others, on pilgrimage to various religious spots or visiting relatives, include 70 persons from Gujarat; 61 from Maharashtra, 46 from Uttar Pradesh, 38 from Rajasthan, 36 from Punjab, 26 from Delhi, 15 from Madhya Pradesh, 14 from Haryana, 11 from Telangana, six each from Karnataka and Chandigarh, five from Chhattisgarh, four from Tamil Nadu, three from West Bengal, two each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and one from Bihar.
Himanshu Aggarwal, additional deputy commissioner (ADC-general), Amritsar, said the Kashmiri students will be escorted to their state by Jammu and Kashmir government officials: Assistant directors Amir Chaudhary and Muneeb Umar of the hospitality and protocol department.
The others will be quarantined in Amritsar for the next 14 days.
Earlier, on May 27, the Indian government had facilitated the return of 179 Pakistanis to their country through the land border. They were stranded in various states of India due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
After restrictions were partially lifted 400 Pakistanis again returned home from the Wagah border.
On March 14, India had suspended cross-border movement of passengers through the Attari-Wagah border after the Covid-19 outbreak. Pakistan closed its borders on March 19.