Stuck for long due to Covid, 137 people cross over to Pakistan

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 29

Pakistani national Shahin was elated to return to her country after getting critical treatment for her both legs in India.

Stuck for a long time due to Covid-19-induced lockdown and post regulatory guidelines, she was among the 137 Pakistani and Indian nationals who crossed over to Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post (JCP) on Tuesday.

Shahin along with many of her compatriots who were stuck in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic heaved a sigh for returning to their country.

She recalled that she had come over here in July 2018 for getting advanced treatment for her both painful legs. Wife of a retired Pakistan government official Mohammad Yunus, she thanked Indian doctors for their proficiency in the medical field besides thanking Indian and Pakistan governments for felicitating travel of such patients. She, however, disliked the long period she has to spent here due to the lockdown.

An Indian national, Muwasir Nabi, said the pandemic and its restrictions hampered his education as he is pursuing B.Tech degree from Peshawar. He could not return to Pakistan to join his classes as he was at his home in Jammu and Kashmir when the lockdown was imposed.

Indian national Abida from Srinagar stated that her children were visiting their nanu’s residence in Pakistan after three years. She is a votary of easy travel between the two countries by burying their bitter rivalries to forge a peaceful and harmonious future for their nationals.

The 137 Indian and Pakistani nationals who crossed over to Pakistan had come from different parts of the country, including Delhi (97), Madhya Pradesh (13), Gujarat (9), Jammu and Kashmir (7), Chhattisgarh (4), Rajasthan (3), Maharashtra (2) and West Bengal (1).