150 Pakistani Brides Reach India For Weddings In Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Jodhpur And Other Cities

Around 150 Pakistani brides travelled to India through connecting flights after special relaxations by the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed cross-border couples to proceed with their weddings despite restrictions following Operation Sindoor and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

With the Wagah-Attari land border closed, the brides and their families travelled to India through connecting flights via Muscat, Colombo, Dhaka, Dubai and Qatar. Weddings were subsequently held in cities including Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Jodhpur, Raipur, Pune and Bhopal.

Weddings Held With Limited Family Presence

Pakistani citizens holding valid Indian visas can normally enter India directly through the Wagah border. However, with the land route closed, couples and their families had to take lengthy air journeys, travelling thousands of kilometres through third countries.

Between April and June, around 450 relatives accompanied the brides and grooms to India.

The relatives were required to return to Pakistan within a stipulated period under their visa conditions. As a result, many of the weddings were kept simple, with only a limited number of family members able to attend.

Bride Had To Stop Just 1 Km From Wagah Border

One such case involved Inkesh Jashnani, who lives in India on a long-term visa and was already engaged to Aarti from Khanpur in Sindh.

Aarti had reached a location just 1 km from the Wagah border in May 2025 for the wedding but was forced to turn back after the border was closed.

After waiting for more than a year, she eventually travelled to Nagpur through Muscat and married Inkesh in March. Due to visa restrictions, only her brother was able to accompany her to India, while her parents remained in Pakistan.

Pakistani Groom Also Travels To India

The cross-border weddings were not limited to Pakistani brides travelling to India. Some Pakistani grooms also made the journey to marry their partners.

Rabhel Jaswani, from Ghotki in Sindh, travelled to India with his parents to marry Shreya in Nagpur.

The couple have remained in India after their wedding. Rabhel said he wants to live in India and hopes to bring other members of his family to the country when the borders open in the future.

Long Journeys Keep Cross-Border Weddings Alive

The closure of the Wagah-Attari border made travel between the two countries significantly more difficult for couples whose weddings had already been planned.

However, the special relaxations allowed around 150 Pakistani brides to reach India through connecting international routes and marry their partners.

The weddings in Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Jodhpur, Raipur, Pune and Bhopal allowed these families to proceed with their marriages despite the restrictions, although many had to celebrate with fewer relatives and undertake lengthy journeys through third countries.