150 Pakistani Brides Come to India; More Than 300 to Come

Around 150 Pakistani brides have finally reached India through alternative routes after visa restrictions delayed their weddings, while nearly 300 more are still waiting.

For generations, Sindhi families across India and Pakistan have shared a unique tradition — marriages between families on both sides of the border.

After marriage, many Pakistani brides would travel to India through the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab to begin their new lives with their husbands.

But in 2025, this long-standing tradition faced an unexpected roadblock.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, India launched Operation Sindoor. Relations between the two countries became more strained, and visa services and border travel for Pakistani citizens were restricted.

For many families, this meant more than just a travel restriction.

It meant weddings were put on hold.

Around 150 Pakistani women, already engaged to Indian men in cities including Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur and Pune, were unable to travel to India. Families were left waiting, with no clear answer about when the brides would be able to join their future husbands.

Seeking help, community members approached Sant Yudhishtirlal Shadaani, spiritual head of Shadaani Darbar, a prominent Hindu shrine in Ghotki, Sindh.

A list of the waiting brides was prepared and submitted to India's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), along with a request to grant visas to the brides and their family members.

The Indian government agreed — but with one condition.

The brides could not enter India through the Attari border. Instead, they would have to travel by air, passing through other countries.

And finally, the long wait began to end.

Since April 2026, around 150 Pakistani brides and their families have made their way to India, travelling through countries including Dubai, Oman, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before reaching their destinations.

According to Rajesh Jhambia, who is originally from Sindh and now lives in Nagpur and works with Pakistani Sindhi migrants, 15 of these brides have arrived in Nagpur alone.

After months of uncertainty, these families can finally celebrate their weddings and begin a new chapter together.

But the story isn't over yet.

Jhambia says nearly 300 more Pakistani women are still waiting for visas so they can travel to India and marry their fiancés.

For these families, the hope now is simple — that the doors will open for them too, and that love and family will once again be able to cross the border.