A day after suspending visa services for Pakistani nationals, the Centre has instructed all states and Union Territories to identify individuals present in India under 14 specific visa categories — including those issued for business, journalism, tourism, film, and pilgrimage — and to ensure their swift repatriation. This directive, issued by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, follows the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
Several states, including Gujarat and Odisha, have already begun acting on the order by initiating the departure process for Pakistani nationals within their jurisdictions. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified that the directive includes student and medical visas, while diplomatic, official, and long-term visas remain unaffected. The exit deadline varies by visa type, ranging from April 26 to April 29.
The order, shared with states during a video conference chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, emphasized strict adherence. States were notified that all Pakistani visas—except for long-term, diplomatic, and official—stand revoked effective April 27. Medical visas are valid only through April 29. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration were also instructed to ensure full compliance.
According to MHA data, 1,112 Long-Term Visas were issued to Pakistani minority community members between April 2023 and March 2024. While holders of LTVs are exempt from the recent revocations, intelligence agencies are closely monitoring their movements, especially in states like Kerala and Maharashtra.
This move is part of a broader set of countermeasures initiated by India in response to the Pahalgam incident, in which terrorists — three of whom are believed to be from Pakistan — opened fire on a tourist group. In addition to the visa restrictions, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani diplomats and defense officials, downgraded diplomatic ties, and sealed the Attari-Wagah land border.
India’s 3,323 km border with Pakistan, stretching through states like Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat and the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, has seen heightened surveillance. Officials have instructed border forces to boost security measures, deploy more personnel, upgrade surveillance equipment, reinforce fencing, and improve intelligence sharing to counter infiltration threats.
In states like Kerala, intelligence reports suggest that over 100 Pakistani citizens are currently present, with most staying on visitor visas. In Gujarat, one visitor has already left, with six more departures imminent. Odisha has served notices to 12 Pakistani nationals, while Uttarakhand confirmed that of three short-term visitors, two have departed and the remaining one has been notified to exit by April 27.
In Maharashtra, Pune district officials revealed that of 111 Pakistani nationals identified, 90 are on LTVs — largely belonging to the Hindu community — and the rest are mainly in India for medical purposes. Meanwhile, in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that three Pakistani visitors have been asked to leave by April 29, and 17 others are on Long-Term Visas.
As the Centre enforces its latest visa and border measures, state administrations across the country are moving swiftly to ensure full compliance, amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
