Over 221 people stranded in Pakistan due to COVID-19 outbreak, return India

Out of these, 135 are No Obligation to Return to India visa holders, 11 are Pakistani nationals and 75 are Indians.

File Photo (IANS)

New Delhi: Over 221 people who were stranded in Pakistan due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak, returned to India on Monday (November 23, 2020), via the Attari-Wagah international border.

"Out of these, 135 are NORI (No Obligation to Return to India) visa holders, 11 are Pakistan nationals and 75 Indians," said Protocol Officer at Wagah Border from Punjab Police, Arunpal Singh.

This is to be noted that the NORI visa is issued to the refugees who don't have Indian citizenship but are permitted to stay in the country with a Long Term Visa (LTV).

Earlier in March, PM Narendra Modi had imposed a complete lockdown to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19 across India. The international borders were also sealed for most of the countries. 

The government has now reopened most of the economic activities but international borders have been shut on a necessity basis.