Expel Pakistanis, Amit Shah directs states after India moves to cancel visas

Following a high-level meeting with top officials, Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructed Chief Ministers of all states to take immediate steps to deport them, a day after India cancelled all existing visas for Pakistani nationals.

In Short

• Chief Ministers instructed to deport Pakistani nationals immediately
• Visa services to Pakistani nationals suspended after Pahalgam attack
• All Pakistani citizens asked to leave India by April 27

A day after India cancelled all existing visas for Pakistani nationals, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday directed all Chief Ministers to identify and remove citizens of the neighbouring country from their respective states immediately.

Following a high-level meeting with top officials, Amit Shah instructed Chief Ministers of all states to take immediate steps to deport them.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks, the Narendra Modi government asked all Pakistani citizens to leave India by April 27. The Centre further stated that Pakistani citizens with medical visas will get an additional two days but will have to leave the country by April 29.

"In continuation of the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect," the MEA said in a statement on Thursday. Additionally, India "strongly advised" its nationals against travelling to Pakistan.

The recent move to cancel visas for Pakistani nationals came amid India's multipronged offensive - from pausing the 1960 Indus Water Treaty to shutting down the Attari land-transit post - against Islamabad after Pakistan-backed terrorists opened fired on tourists on Tuesday, killing 26.

The terrorists had singled out Hindu male tourists and shot them dead, according to tourists. One terrorist had even asked a woman to "go tell (Prime Minister) Modi".

"The terrorists suddenly appeared and began firing indiscriminately. While some of them opened fire, others grabbed the Hindus present and forced them to recite the Azan. Then they resumed firing and shot my father and uncle," a woman, who was present at the spot, told India Today TV.

She added that the terrorists claimed that their religion was "in danger" because of Hindus.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that "India will identify and punish every terrorist, and those behind them."