Fear Grips Pakistani Hindu Refugees in India as Visa Deadline Nears Post-Pahalgam Attack

New Delhi– As the Indian government moves swiftly to expel Pakistani nationals in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, fear and uncertainty have engulfed Pakistani Hindu refugees living in India, particularly those on short-term visas.

The Centre has issued a deadline of April 27 for regular Pakistani visa holders to leave the country following the massacre in Jammu and Kashmir. While the government has clarified that Long Term Visas (LTVs), largely held by Hindu minorities fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, will not be affected, those on Short Term Visas (STVs) have received no such reprieve.

In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, over a thousand Pakistani Hindu refugees living in a makeshift settlement in Mulsagar village under the “Eklavya Bhil Basti” are in a state of anxiety. Many, including those who recently entered India through the Wagah-Attari border, fear for their lives if forced to return.

Among them is Kheto Ram, a former resident of Sindh, who fled Pakistan with his wife and two sons just hours before the Pahalgam attack. “Dying in India is acceptable, but not returning to a hell like Pakistan,” he said, recounting the relentless harassment his family faced before escaping. He urged the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider their situation with compassion, noting that they had sold everything they owned to make a new start in India.

Another refugee, Balam, echoed the same plea, saying, “Death is better than returning. We left everything we had,” while his wife broke down, begging authorities not to send them back.

The fear among these communities is compounded by recent findings from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which noted a worsening climate for religious minorities in Pakistan. The report highlighted that Hindus, Christians, and other minorities continue to suffer under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws and called on the U.S. government to redesignate Pakistan as a “country of particular concern.”

The ultimatum by India comes as part of a broader national security response following the Pahalgam attack, which has also led to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the cancellation of regular Pakistani visas. However, the human angle involving persecuted minorities has sparked concern among rights advocates.