Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday criticized the Central government&rsquo;s recent order directing Pakistani nationals to leave the country in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Describing the move as &ldquo;inhuman&rdquo; and &ldquo;against the spirit of humanity,&rdquo; Abdullah said the decision was particularly unjust towards those who have lived peacefully in India for decades.
Addressing the media, Abdullah said that individuals who have been residing in India for 25 to 70 years, along with their families, had done no harm to the nation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This action is not good; this is against humanity. Some people have been staying here for the last 70 years, 25 years, their children are here, they never hurt India, instead they have submitted themselves to India,&rdquo; he stated.
Expressing unease over rising tensions between India and Pakistan, Abdullah warned of the increasing risk of conflict. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know what will happen tomorrow. Today, two countries are getting ready for a fight. Attempts are being done to ensure this doesn&rsquo;t happen and a solution can be found to catch them (terrorists) and those who are behind it,&rdquo; he said.
A senior official confirmed that 786 Pakistani citizens departed India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing between April 24-30. In the same timeframe, 1,376 Indian nationals returned from Pakistan via the same route.
The government&rsquo;s advisory, issued on April 24, instructed Pakistani nationals to exit India by April 27. An extension was granted till April 29 for those on medical visas. The notice did not apply to individuals holding diplomatic, official, or long-term visas. The deadline for Pakistani nationals with any of the 12 short-term visa categories concluded on Sunday.
The government&rsquo;s decision followed the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists. The incident is among the most severe in the region since the 2019 Pulwama attack, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed.
The official noted that many Pakistani nationals have also traveled out of India via flights through Dubai and other transit routes, due to the absence of direct air links to Pakistan.
&ldquo;Several have left via flight through Dubai or other routes, as there is no direct flight to Pakistan. We are expecting more Pakistan nationals to leave the country as state police and other central agencies are identifying Pakistan nationals residing at various places in the country,&rdquo; the official said.
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(Left) Farooq Abdullah and PM Narendra Modi (Right)

Abdullah criticises government's post-attack move, saying many Pakistanis in India have lived peacefully

Pakistani Exit Order Inhuman, Says Abdullah

Abdullah criticises government's post-attack move, saying many Pakistanis in India have lived peacefully

May 1, 2025 | 17:45 IST