Heartbreak at Attari: Couples separated, kids left behind

ATTARI: Cradling her 14-day-old infant, Sara Khan stood at the Attari-Wagah border in her washroom slippers, holding back tears. A resident of PoK, she had been living in India since 2017 after marrying Aurangzeb Khan from J&K. "I had a C-section recently. My stitches haven't healed. Doctors advised me not to travel," Sara said Wednesday as her pleas to stay with her family in J&K, citing her newborn's Indian citizenship, went unanswered.

Sara is among dozens of Pak nationals - mostly women married to Indian men - who have been forced to leave India in the wake of a govt directive issued after Pahalgam attack. The directive has triggered scenes of heartbreak, confusion, and uncertainty at Attari.

Anjum Tanveer, father of a two-year-old Ayeza, was told his wife Attiya Aslam - a Pak national from Gujranwala - must leave India despite four years of marriage. "She was summoned for verification on April 28, and we were told her visa stands revoked," said Anjum, who will now have to play mother to Ayeza. "Punish the terrorists, yes, but why must innocent families suffer?"

Then there's a story of heartbreak for Kashmir's Aamir and Pakistan's Hajra who got married just two days ago. "One day, I brought my wife home with joy, and the next, she was told to leave - it all happened so suddenly," said Aamir.