Hindu, Muslim families stopped from crossing over to Pak after border sealed amid virus scare


PTI | Attari | Updated: 19-03-2020 21:10 IST | Created: 19-03-2020 21:10 IST
Hindu, Muslim families stopped from crossing over to Pak after border sealed amid virus scare
  • Country:
  • India

Over 10 Hindu and Muslim families were stopping from crossing over to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah check post after India sealed the border with the neighbouring country due to the coronavirus threat. A senior BSF officer said a notification in this regard was received on Wednesday night after which the border was sealed for 14 days. He said no one will be allowed to cross over from either side.

Reacting to the development, Pakistani national Lakshmi Devi said, "The governments of India and Pakistan should have informed the public about the sealing of international border well in time." "Now, we are penniless. We want to join our family in Pakistan" she said, adding that they were told about the development on reaching the border check post. Another Pakistani Hindu, Shobraj, said, "I came here from Indore to cross over to Pakistan for further journey to my home in Sindh. I can't afford to stay here since I don't have enough money." "Moreover, our relatives here in India (Indore) and in Sindh are disturbed as we are stuck here," he added.

Pakistani national Pawan Kumar, too, expressed worry over the situation. "I am in depression since my visa is going to expire in a couple of days," he said. He added after the expiry of his visa, he was not sure about his fate. Mohammed Bashir said he had a SAARC visa which will expire in a few days. "This happened all of a sudden. I Don't know where I would stay in India till the opening of border," he said.

Zara, who had come from Mumbai to go back to Pakistan, was worried about her lodging arrangements. "To my utter surprise, the authorities are not allowing me to cross over to Pakistan as the border has been sealed. I don't know where the Indian Government would make my lodging arrangements." On being contacted, Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Shivdular Singh Dhillon said, "All people who were disallowed to cross over to Pakistan are individuals (private) and the district administration is not responsible to make their lodging arrangement." "Moreover, by claiming that they don't have money, they just want to create a dramatic situation, thinking that the border could be opened to accommodate them," he said. This is ridiculous and its is not possible to open the border for them, he said, adding that "Amritsar is such a place where no one can sleep hungry" as many religious places are there where the community kitchen is run round the clock with free accommodation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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