43 Indians who had arrived from Pakistan last night through Attari-Wagah Border have been sent to a quarantine facility in Amritsar. Reportedly, 29 people had gone to Dubai to watch a cricket match returned to India on Wednesday through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar.
Addition to them, fourteen Indian students who were studying in Pakistan have also returned back to the country. They have all been quarantined at a facility in Amritsar, said civil surgeon Parijeet Kaur Johal.
Punjab: 43 Indians who arrived last night through Attari-Wagah Border have been sent to quarantine facility in Amritsar. Parijeet Kaur Johal, Civil Surgeon says,”29 have travel history of Dubai&14 are students studying in Pakistan. Medical reports sent to state govt”.#Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/jdabKIdC1j
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2020
As reports emerged that Indian citizens, especially students were residing in Pakistan, netizens expressed surprise regarding the rationale behind Indian citizens going to the terror state of Pakistan for educational purposes.
What the hell is studying in Pakistan supposed to mean?
— Bored_biotechnologist (@imbb_vhc) March 19, 2020
Who even goes to Pakistan for studies? 🤷♂️
And what do they even study there? 🤦♂️🤔 pic.twitter.com/hBSdKIG1Ur
May be religious study or some other activities on students visa. @HMOIndia should grill these students. Sleeper ISI Cell toh nahi Hai na? Many possibilities
— Sonali Mehta (@sonali_mehta25) March 19, 2020
If someone wants a master degree is Zee-had (S)he will have to study in Pakistan
— Indore Wale Bhiya (@IndoreWaleBhiya) March 19, 2020
Studying in Pakistan??
— Rishi Bagree 🇮🇳 (@rishibagree) March 19, 2020
Seriously ??
Which course ???
Begging !!!!
Students studying Paksitan, what exactly where they studying??
— Sanjay (@sunjayvjain) March 19, 2020
However, it turns out that the Indian students returned from Pakistan are from Kashmir. As per a Hindustan Times report dated 16th March, 2020, about 100 Indians including 15 students from Kashmir were allowed to return to India from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border. A senior customs official on condition of anonymity informed Hindustan Times reporter that about 15 Kashmiri students studying in Pakistan have also returned to India after special screening was carried out for them at the border.
Hundreds of Kashmiri students study in Pakistan. As educational institutes there closed because of coronavirus outbreak, most of them are returning home. Prior to that, about 60 Kashmiri students had returned from Pakistan at Wagah border.
