UP leads in repatriating all Pakistani nationals under CM Yogi’s supervision after visa revocation

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to ensure the complete repatriation of Pakistani citizens, as confirmed by the Chief Minister's Office in a recent press release.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally monitored the process, following the central government’s directive to revoke all visas issued to Pakistani nationals—except long-term and diplomatic visas—after the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam.

Chief Minister Yogi convened a high-level meeting and directed officials to take swift action. Acting on his instructions, a police team was deployed to facilitate the return of Pakistani nationals.

As of now, only one Pakistani citizen remains in the state and is scheduled to be sent back on Wednesday. Authorities, including police and intelligence agencies, are closely monitoring the individual.

A dedicated campaign was launched across all 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh to ensure compliance with the repatriation orders. Meanwhile, the closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) led to continued movement across the Indo-Pak border.

At the Attari border, a Pakistani citizen from Amarkot district, seen departing with his family, remarked, "I stayed here for four months with one of my relatives. We are returning since there are orders, and we don't have a long-term visa. What happened (in Pahalgam) is wrong, and we are paying for it (because of the terrorists). It will be good if both countries work together."

According to officials, 537 Pakistani nationals have exited India via the Attari border in the last three days, following the expiry of their short-term visas on Sunday.

Arun Pal, a protocol officer at the Attari Border, told ANI that 850 Indian nationals had also returned during this period. "Custom immigration counters opened at 10 am. Before the counters closed, 237 Pakistani Nationals returned to Pakistan from India, and 116 Indian Nationals returned from Pakistan. From April 24, 537 Pakistani Nationals have returned to Pakistan, and 850 Indian Nationals have returned to India. According to the latest information, Pakistani passport holders have until April 29 to cross the border. The same applies to Indian passport holders," he said.

Another Pakistani national at Attari shared their experience: "We came to visit Nagpur and since our visa expired, we are going back. Someone else is being punished for someone else's deeds. Whatever happened in Pahalgam was wrong and innocents should not have been tortured."

The Union government officially revoked all categories of visas for Pakistani citizens on April 27, excluding only long-term, diplomatic, and official visas.

This decisive move came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people—mainly tourists and including a Nepalese national—lost their lives in a brutal afternoon assault at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam.

The attack stands among the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF perso