DEHRADUN: The hopes of 77 Pakistani Hindu pilgrims who had registered for Uttarakhand's world-famous Chardham Yatra, set to begin on April 30, have been dashed.
Authorities have reportedly imposed a ban on Pakistani nationals undertaking the pilgrimage this year.
The decision is understood to be a direct consequence of the "altered security situation" following a recent terrorist attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources within the Uttarakhand Tourism Department's Yatra Division confirmed that besides Pakistan, registrations for this year's pilgrimage have also been received from the United States, Nepal, and Malaysia, among other countries. These three nations reportedly accounted for the highest number of foreign registrations this time.
Providing details on the overall registration figures, Pradeep Chauhan of the Yatra Registration Division told TNIE, "For the Chardham Yatra, which starts from April 30, online registrations have exceeded 21 lakh," he stated.
"Among these, 24,729 foreign nationals have registered to visit, including 77 from Pakistan."
The situation for the Pakistani registrants is complicated by heightened tensions following a terrorist attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam attack. The attack has sparked widespread outrage across the country. In response, the Central Government has reportedly taken strict measures, including a decision to halt the issuance of visas to individuals arriving from Pakistan and a directive for Pakistani nationals currently residing in India to return within 48 hours.
According to the government sources, as many as 250 Pakistani nationals have been identified as residing in Uttarakhand across districts including Dehradun, Haridwar, and Nainital, amidst recent tightening of visa regulations following security concerns.
According to Director General of Police, Deepam Seth, a significant majority of these individuals are predominantly Pakistani Hindu citizens holding long-term visas. "Out of these, 247 have arrived on long-term visas and are mostly Pakistani Hindu citizens," stated DGP Deepam Seth.
Separately, action has been taken regarding the three Pakistani nationals on short-term visas. Two from Dehradun have already been sent back, while the third individual identified in Haridwar was repatriated on Saturday.
The developments come in the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which led to a high alert being sounded across Uttarakhand, a state bordering China and Nepal. Instructions were also issued to monitor Pakistani nationals residing within the state.
Adding to the heightened security measures, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday issued comprehensive guidelines to all states concerning visas for Pakistani citizens.
Following Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's instructions, Additional Secretary Home Nivedita Kukreti issued a formal letter to top officials, including the DGP and district magistrates.
The letter states that visa services for Pakistani citizens are suspended with immediate effect due to the Pahalgam incident. Valid visas for Pakistani nationals, except for specific categories, will be cancelled from April 27. Medical visas will remain valid until April 29.