193 Pakistanis stranded in India to return on May 5 via Wagah border

The Pakistani nationals, who are stranded in India due to novel coronavirus outbreak and lockdown, have been allowed to return to their country via Wagah border on May 5.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has told the state police chief to facilitate their travel. They are required to reach the border by early Tuesday, Hindustan Times reported.

At least 193 Pakistani nationals are stuck in India due to COVID-19 crisis. Most of them had visited India for visiting family, attending religious ceremonies or medical treatment. According to the report, Pakistan High Commission (PHC) had requested Delhi to help facilitate the movement of their nationals from different cities of the country.

In a communication to state governments, Dammu Ravi, additional secretary at MEA, said that it requested all returning Pakistanis may be screened "as per international norms and existing provisions of the Government of India and only asymptomatic individuals may be allowed to return."

Earlier, a similar group of 41 Pakistanis had left Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. But the group was much smaller. On Tuesday's repatriation exercise 193 individuals living in ten states- Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi- will be sent back.