1 week ago
Pakistani Sindhi Brides Reach India After Operation Sindoor Visa Freeze
About 150 women from Pakistan have traveled to India to marry men they were engaged to.
Their weddings were delayed because travel between the two countries became harder.
The Wagah-Attari land route was closed after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
The women and their relatives later received visas.
They had to fly through other countries instead of crossing the border directly.
Some routes went through Dubai, Oman, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The weddings are planned in cities such as Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur and Pune.
Nearly 300 other women are still waiting for visas.
About 150 Pakistani Sindhi brides and their relatives have reached India for planned weddings.
The women were engaged to Indian men but lost access to the Wagah-Attari route after Operation Sindoor and related visa restrictions.
India issued visas on the condition that the brides and relatives travel by air through countries including Dubai, Oman and Sri Lanka.
The Shadaani Darbar shrine helped compile a list of brides and asked India’s Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate their visas.
Nearly 300 additional Pakistani Sindhi women remain waiting for permission to travel to India for marriage.
- Who
- About 150 Pakistani Sindhi brides, their relatives, Indian fiancés, community leader Rajesh Jhambia and the Shadaani Darbar shrine.
- What
- The brides and their relatives received conditional visas and traveled to India for weddings after months of delays.
- Where
- The travelers reached India by air through transit countries, with weddings planned in Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur, Pune and other cities.
- When
- Travel began in April; one report says a major batch arrived between April and August 2026, while other reports do not specify a year.
- Why
- The Pahalgam terrorist attack, Operation Sindoor and the closure of the Wagah-Attari route disrupted earlier visa and land travel arrangements.
Families Seeking Weddings
Post-Attack Travel Restrictions
Visa access
Families Seeking Weddings
Community representatives and Shadaani Darbar urged India to issue visas so engaged couples could complete their marriages.
Post-Attack Travel Restrictions
Indian authorities initially rejected visas for visitors planning to use the Attari route and later allowed travel only under air-travel conditions.
Border travel
Families Seeking Weddings
Families from Pakistan’s Sindh province had previously used the Wagah-Attari route for cross-border weddings.
Post-Attack Travel Restrictions
The route was closed after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, ending that travel method for the affected visitors.
Future applicants
Families Seeking Weddings
Community leaders are asking India to approve visas for nearly 300 additional women waiting to marry in India.
Post-Attack Travel Restrictions
The reports do not state whether or when those remaining applicants will receive visas.
Key facts
- Brides who traveled
- About 150, described as more than 150 in one report
- Accompanying relatives
- Approximately 450, according to one report
- Remaining applicants
- Nearly 300 Pakistani Sindhi women are still waiting for visas
- Travel condition
- The Indian government required the visitors to travel strictly by air
- Transit routes
- Reported routes included Dubai, Oman, Muscat, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
- Wedding locations
- Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur, Pune and other Indian cities
- Visa assistance
- Shadaani Darbar submitted a list of brides to India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and sought visa facilitation
Quotes
Rajesh Jhambia
Nagpur community leader who works with Sindhi migrants from Pakistan
“Since April this year, 150 brides and their families from Pakistan have travelled to India via Dubai, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other countries for the weddings. These include 15 cases from Nagpur.”
firstpost.com
“Everything changed after Operation Sindoor, as the government rejected visas to all those who were planning to visit the country via the Attari route”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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