A Pakistani business traveler put people in a whirl when he traveled to India on an IndiGo flight without first obtaining an Indian visa. Even as this excited people, his journey was within the law, revealing a less-well-advertised travel rule that allows Pakistanis to stop over at Indian airports under specific conditions.

A Rare Travel

India-Pakistan and Pakistan-India tourism has always been hampered by virtue of the general tensions and security issues. Indians, although they do have the choice for entry into Pakistan on a visa, have a long process to go through in order to accomplish this, and India-Pakistan recreation tourism is extremely uncommon. 

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How Waqas Traveled Without a Visa?

Waqas Hassan did not enter India in the traditional sensehe never left the airport. Instead, he booked an IndiGo flight from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with a six-hour layover at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Since his journey was a transit and he did not leave the airport premises, he did not require an Indian visa.

Hassan announced that Pakistani passport holders are legally entitled to travel on transiting flights within Indian airports but not be allowed off the airport during transit, thus self-check-in flights are barred for them. Their booking must be a continuous booking where both the flights are linked to one another in such a way that they are inside international transit area.

Welcoming India Within Mumbai Airport

Despite being restricted to the airport, Hassan made the most of his short stay in Mumbai. He explored the airport, relaxed in a lounge, shopped for souvenirs, and even tried Mumbais most famous street foodvada pav.

“It’s just completely amazing,” he demonstrated in his video as he strolled around in the airport, transferring his excitement with the process. Humour and friendly demeanor of the businessman earned him massive following, particularly the new entrants to the transport regulations.

Shock Thousands Online

Hassan’s video hit the headlines and thousands of people left comments on his surprise visit to India. Thousands were amazed that he was able to place his feet on Indian soil in Mumbai, even though he did not set foot inside the country. The news surprised people too, as most people had no clue that Pakistani citizens could transit from Indian airports.

The competition spilled over to other social network sites, and travel enthusiasts and bloggers brought the rare loophole into the spotlight. Even there were arguments on whether the regulation can be applied in the future to make traveling between the two nations easier.

India-Pakistan Travel Restrictions

Severe visa restriction between India and Pakistan is a direct consequence of security and political tensions that continued for decades. While it is simple for the citizens of other nations to get an Indian tourist visa, Pakistanis must go through a series of screening tests. Pakistanis have to provide humongous amounts of documents, undergo background checks, and be sponsored by Indian family or organizations in most cases before they are granted a visa. Likewise, India-Pakistan direct flights are not available, and few airlines offer direct flights between the two nations.

With such limitations, Pakistani tourists would not usually visit India unless on sheer exigency. Most of them use other nations such as the UAE, Qatar, or Turkey to arrange stopover tours to places that they are not ideally supposed to travel directly to. Hassan’s trip, however, came up with a new option that most hadn’t tested before.

What This Means for Future Travelers

Hassan’s experience is that of one of the interesting travel alternatives for Pakistani citizens overseas. It is of no benefit to travel to India in visa aspects but offers an alternative for individuals with layovers at Indian airports. It is also a reminder that, despite political tensions, there are legal ways of relations between the two countries’ people.

Waqas Hassan’s short but captivating trip to the Mumbai airport was an eye opener regarding global aviation regulations. His travels within India illegally without a visa have been of public debate and concern, and it speaks volumes of Indian-Pakistani travel complexities.