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Journalism of Courage
Waqas Hassan, an entrepreneur in Pakistan, recently surprised many by sharing that he travelled to India on an IndiGo flight, and that too, without an Indian visa. While Pakistani passport holders can visit India with a visa, the process is quite strict, making leisure travel between the two countries uncommon.
However, what Hassan did was completely legal.
In an Instagram video, Hassan explained that Pakistani travellers can transit through India on connecting flights without needing a visa, as long as they remain inside the airport. Since self-check-in isn’t allowed for them, they must book a single-ticket itinerary.
Hassan was travelling from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with a six-hour layover in Mumbai, giving him ample time to explore the airport. “Iss samay meri flight jaa rahi hai Singapore se Saudi Arabia aur main Mumbai mei aaya hoon aur poora che ghante ka stay hai. Toh iss stay mei main poora Mumbai airport explore kar raha hoon. Lounge dekha hai, vada pav khaaya hai, ek sovereign liya hai and it’s a pretty fun feeling (Right now, my flight is from Singapore to Saudi Arabia, and I have arrived in Mumbai with a layover of a full six hours. During this stay, I am exploring the entire Mumbai airport. I have visited the lounge, eaten vada pav, and bought a souvenir,)” he shared in his video while strolling through the terminal.
Hassan also revealed why he chose an Indian airline—Indian carries often offer better deals for flights from east to west. He admitted he wasn’t sure how things would go since he had never heard of Pakistanis transiting through India before.
“I have been travelling for 15 years. Nobody told me that we [Pakistanis] can transit through India. So when I booked this ticket, there was a slight bit of risk involved as well,” he said. Even immigration officers at Mumbai airport were taken aback when they saw his passport. “They looked at me in surprise. They said not many Pakistani people do this, so it was a new experience for them as well,” he said in the video.
The video has since gone viral, racking up over 800,000 views. Many Instagram users, Indians and Pakistanis, commented on the video.
One user wrote, “Glad you got to touch Indian soil. So close yet so far due to politics. Hope you enjoyed the vada pao.” Another person was intrigued by this loophole, saying, “Omg I didn’t know this before!!! Will defo transit through India.”
Instagram page Aamchi Mumbai welcomed Hassan saying, “Welcome to Mumbai Bhai,” while another user expressed a heartfelt wish for easier travel between the two nations: “But Pakistani awaam should be allowed to visit India and vice versa. I love you guys… no one is good or bad, we all are shades of grey. I respect your culture and country and will request our government to make it easier for citizens of both countries to visit each other.”
Apart from sharing his unique journey, Hassan also posted separate videos of him savouring vada pav and sipping cutting chai at the airport.
“I travelled all the way to Mumbai on a Pakistani Passport just to have Vada Pav,” reads the caption.
