50 Pakistan nationals with NORI visa allowed to cross over to India
A total of 50 Pakistani nationals, who hold the NORI (No Obligation to Return to India) visa, crossed over to India through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari border on Monday.
Until recently, Pakistan authorities were not permitting NORI visa holders to travel to India, citing their Pakistani passports. However, following discussions, an exception has been made, officials said.
In total, 240 people from Pakistan, including the 50 NORI visa holders, entered India. Meanwhile, 140 others from India returned to Pakistan via Attari.
A NORI visa is issued by India to Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals who have close relatives holding Indian citizenship. They include men and women who are married to Indian nationals.
While revoking all visas issued to the nationals of the neighbouring country following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed on April 22, India had made an exemption for NORI visa holders, allowing them to cross over to Pakistan. There, however, was no clarity on the issue from Pakistan side.
Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Ramesh Singh Arora, who is also a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, said he raised the issue with the Pakistan government. Speaking to The Indian Express, Arora said, 'I was approached by three Sikh families whose members holding NORI visas wanted to return to India.'
The recent suspension of normal cross-border movement had caused disruptions for families with members holding different nationalities. Several families, where one spouse holds an Indian passport and the other a Pakistani passport, have suddenly been separated. Officials said the current easing of rules for NORI visa holders is a step toward addressing the hardship faced by such families.
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