Attari border closed: Tourists postpone plans, locals stand behind PM Modi's decision

The Central government has also suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption scheme, giving Pakistani nationals 48 hours to return to their country. Pic/PTI

Locals in Amritsar have lauded the decision of the Indian government to shut the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP), among other diplomatic measures in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

They also condemned Tuesday's attack and supported the government's decision, even though some of them had to delay or cancel their plans.

A tourist from Rajasthan, Surinder Singh, told ANI that they had come to Amritsar with the hopes of crossing through the border to attend a family wedding in Pakistan, but now the plans have been postponed.

"I was going to Pakistan today for my brother's wedding, but it will be postponed now. My grandmother and her four sons stay in Pakistan, and her one son stays in India. The attack on tourists (in Pahalgam) was very wrong," he said.

Shaitan Singh, a relative of Surinder, expressed uncertainty about his plans. "What the terrorists have done is wrong...We are not being allowed to go (to Pakistan) as the border is closed...Let us see what will happen now," he told ANI.

The Central government has also suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption scheme, giving Pakistani nationals 48 hours to return to their country.

A Pakistani national, Mohammed Jammeel, also condemned the attack, saying that "whoever's blood is shed is wrong."

"Khoon kisi ka bhi bahe woh galat hai (Whoever's blood is being shed is wrong), even if it is mine, or someone else's, everyone's hearts beat the same," Jameel told ANI.

At the same time, businessmen in Amritsar said that while their business will be affected, they stand with PM Modi regarding the decision/

A businessman from Attari said, "The closure of the Attari border will definitely affect the business here... but the incident that has happened is also very wrong."

Another business said that the attack in Pulwama on innocent people was wrong, adding, "The attack on the tourist was wrong. We stand with the nation. Jis hisab se Modi ji desh chala rahe hain, chalane do. We stand with the decisions of PM Modi," he said.

As many as 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

The attack, carried out by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

In response, the Central government announced on Wednesday the closure of Attari ICP, reducing the strength of High Commissions in India and Pakistan to 30 officials each, and suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India."

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