On 22nd April 2025, Islamic terrorists killed 26 and injured 20+ innocent civilians who were
visiting Kashmir as tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT) asked for IDs of all the victims and after identifying their religion as being Hindu, shot
at them indiscriminately.
This inhuman act of killing based on religion has caused ripples across India, people are
furious and are demanding strict action from the government. On 23 April 2025, the Indian
Government came out with a list of actions against Pakistan which includes suspension of
visas of Pakistani nationals. All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals
stand revoked with effect from 27th April 2025 and Medical visas issued to Pakistani
nationals will be valid only till 29th April 2025. All Pakistani nationals currently in India must
leave India. This move may sound like a diplomatic move but this has caused panic among
Pakistani Hindus, who have been coming to India to save themselves from religious
persecution.
Hindus and other minorities of Pakistan have been coming into India since the partition of
India, first, it was deadly riots, and then came the continuous persecution. Nehru-Liaquat
Pact of 1950, was signed to safeguard minorities of India and Pakistan. Pakistan Hindus and
other minorities have since partition used the Nehru-Liaqat Act of 1950 to seek refuge in
India.
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Most of the Pakistani Hindus coming to India are marginalized, poor and belong to
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and this news of cancellation of visas is raging like
fire as many might have to leave India or will not be able to enter India. To understand this
situation, I talked to Mr. Jai Ahuja, founder of Nimittekam, an NGO that assists Pakistani
Hindus. Mr. Ahuja states โSince the news of the revocation of visas has come, we have been
in continuous contact with refugees and raised the issue with the government. The issue of
refugees can be understood from broad 4 categories โ first, where a Pakistani Hindu has
been issued a long-term visa (LTV), which the Indian Government has clarified that the
individuals with LTV are excluded from the revocation of visas; second, where a Pakistani
Hindu has made an application with the Foreign Resident Registration Office (FRRO) and
the concerned individual received Resident Permit stamp on his passport, such individuals
can you continue to stay in India before the authority makes a final decision for his/her visa;
and lastly Pakistani Hindus who have gone to Pakistan on Noori visa for some personal work
and individuals who have just received visa to visit India, they are likely to suffer most as the
Indian Government has closed the Wagah-Attari border, only land route between India-
Pakistan. We have received reports that Pakistani Hindus were not allowed to cross the
border and were sent back by the Indian authorities. Though, informally we have been
conveyed that individuals on Noori visa will be allowed to returnโ. Other than these 3
categories, there could be Pakistani Hindus who have just arrived in India or were unable to
file an application, the government should take into consideration cases for all the minorities
who have come to seek refuge in India without conditions.
Pakistan in a tit-for-tat gesture has also revoked all visas and called Indians to leave the
country, the Sikh community. Pakistan has for decades tried to cause communal disharmony
in Punjab and has pandered to Khalistanis, this move is nothing but a continuity of the above
doctrine. India while taking steps towards reprimanding Pakistan shouldnโt forget the plight of
Pakistani Hindus and other minorities; ways need to be figured in for their safety and security
and they are not left at the mercy of Pakistan.
