Eighty-six passengers of the Samjhauta Express made their way home by crossing the Wagah border on foot on Monday after the train was refused entry into India due to a farmers’ agitation in Punjab, media report said.
According to Pakistan Railways, the Samjhauta Express left the lahore railway station as scheduled with 86 passengers, including 25 women and 10 children, but was refused entry by the Indian railway authorities.
“After the Indian authorities did not accept the train into their territory, it returned to lahore on October 8 and since then, these passengers have either stayed at the railway station or at nearby hotels,” Pakistan Railways’ official Shujat Hussain told Dawn. He said since the train scheduled for departure to India from lahore only on Mondays and Thursdays at 10.30 am, passengers started arriving at the station early on Monday.
“But when we contacted the Indian side, they refused to accept the train due to the deteriorating law and order situation there,” he added.
Hussain said Indian High Commission in Islamabad had contacted Pakistan Railways through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday about the status of their nationals. He claimed that high commission officials, after reaching lahore, told the railways that the train might not enter India on Monday due to the law and order situation in Punjab.
“In the meantime, we arranged transport to shift all passengers and their luggage to Wagah from where they entered their country by crossing the border on foot,” he explained.
Meanwhile, India and Pakistan are working with great cooperation to send back stranded passengers of Samjhauta Express. Both sides have made efforts to help the passengers with food and travel documents and ensured that the passengers do not become victim of politics.
India has extended visa for 17 Pakistani passengers whose visa expired during the ongoing farmers agitation. Similarly, 83 Indians will cross over through Attari by road. Both sides are using the Maitri Bus between New Delhi and lahore to send back the train passengers.