Family Reunions and New Visa List for 600 Pakistani Hindus

Family reunions have become the central theme of the latest Shadani Darbar initiative, which has compiled a fresh list of about 600 Pakistani Hindus eligible for special entry permits.

The list reflects the lingering impact of the Attari-Wagah border closure, which isolated families after the 2023 Operation Sindoor incident. Many of the people on the list are women who married Indian citizens during the brief window when travel was still possible.

Around 200 of the applicants are brides eager to settle with their husbands in India, while a separate group wishes to travel to India to scatter the ashes of relatives who passed away in Pakistan, honoring traditional rites along the Ganga.

Shadani Darbar has submitted the roster to the Ministry of Home Affairs, urging the issuance of special visas that would allow these individuals to cross the border legally. The organization emphasizes that the reunification of families fractured during the 1947 Partition remains its core mission.

If the ministry grants the visas, the 600 beneficiaries will be able to join their loved ones, thereby mitigating the humanitarian strain caused by the ongoing border shutdown.