New Delhi, 1 May

The Attari-Wagah border crossing point between India and Pakistan was shut completely on Thursday following a week-long heavy rush of people from either side to cross over after the Union government ordered all Pakistani citizens with short-term visa to leave India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, sources said.

The Attari-Wagah border crossing point is completely closed now and no one from either country crossed over to the other side on Thursday, two sources confirmed.

A total of 125 Pakistani nationals left India on Wednesday through the Attari-Wagah border, taking the total number of Pakistanis leaving the country to 911 in the last seven days.

Fifteen Indian citizens with Pakistani visa also crossed over to Pakistan on Wednesday, taking the total number of such people exiting India to 23.

Similarly, 152 Indian nationals and 73 Pakistani nationals with long-term Indian visa have entered India through the international border crossing point in Punjab's Amritsar district, taking the total number of such people to 1,617 and 224, respectively.

The Centre issued the 'Leave India' notice to Pakistani nationals after 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by terrorists with Pakistan links in Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April.

The deadline for exiting India for those holding SAARC visas was 26 April. For those carrying medical visas, the deadline was 29 April.

The deadline for 12 other categories of visas was 27 April. These were visas on arrival and visas for business, film, journalists, transit, conferences, mountaineering, students, visitors, group tourists, pilgrims and group pilgrims.

Three defence/military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata on 23 April and were given one week to leave India. Five support staff of these defence attaches were also asked to leave India.

India also withdrew its defence attache from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

Sources said some of the Pakistanis might have left India through airports too, pointing out that since India does not have direct air connectivity with Pakistan, they might have left for a third country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 25 April called up the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.