ATTTARI: As dengue cases continue to rise, scores of Pakistani Hindu men, women and children camping under the open sky at Attari have urged the Indian government to get their exit letters cleared from the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO), Jodhpur, so they could leave for their country after the mandatory Covid 19 tests.
“Yesterday, over 26 children were taken to a doctor for treatment as they are suffering from various ailments. Since these Pakistani nationals sleep in the open, they are exposed to dengue and have urged the local administration to e-mail their exit letters from so that they can cross the border,” said Arun Pal, protocol officer at Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP).
As many as one hundred Pakistani Hindus had arrived at Attari border from Jodhpur on September 22, but they were denied entry into Pakistan as their Covid 19 test report had expired. Besides, no one from the group could produce a exit letter, which is required to cross the border.
Pal informed that these Pak Hindus had arrived in India about one-and-half years ago on a pilgrimage, but were unable to go back due to Covid-induced lockdown. All of them had temporarily settled at Jodhpur, where they worked as daily wages earners. In Attari, they are being taken care by Gurdwara Satlani Sahib.
An elderly Pak Hindu, who is part of the jatha, said “We were not aware of this formality. Now it is very difficult for us to go back to Jodhpur and get the exit letter, so we have urged the local administration to help us.Rising cases of dengue is also a major cause of concern for all of us.”
