For months, their weddings were stuck in limbo. Now, around 150 Pakistani brides engaged to men in India have finally reached the country, travelling through third countries after visa restrictions shut the traditional Wagah-Attari route.

The women, mostly from Pakistan's Sindh province, had been planning to marry and settle with their Indian partners. But the closure of the Attari route and suspension of visas following Operation Sindoor disrupted their plans, leaving at least 150 weddings on hold.

Now, after efforts by members of the Sindhi community and a prominent religious institution, the brides and their relatives have been allowed to enter India by air.

"The long wait is over, finally," Rajesh Jhambia, a community leader from Nagpur, said on Sunday.

According to Jhambia, the brides and their families have travelled to India through transit routes including Dubai, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other countries.

The Centre permitted the visitors to enter India on the condition that they travel by air rather than use the Attari route.

"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," Jhambia told PTI.

The weddings are taking place in several Indian cities, including Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur and Pune.

What happened after Operation Sindoor?

The Sindhi community had traditionally used the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab for such family visits and weddings. That arrangement changed after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians.

Jhambia said visa applications from those planning to travel to India through the Attari route were subsequently rejected.

With the weddings stalled, community representatives turned to Sant Yudhishtirlal Shadaani, the spiritual head of Shadaani Darbar in Raipur. Shadaani Darbar is a prominent Hindu religious shrine in Ghotki, Pakistan's Sindh province.

The temple began compiling details of Pakistani women who were already engaged to men in India. The list contained around 150 brides whose weddings were planned in different Indian cities.

The temple subsequently approached India's Ministry of Home Affairs with the list and requested that visas be facilitated for the brides and their relatives.

The MHA eventually allowed the visitors to enter India, but only by air.

That opened an alternative route for families who had been unable to cross through Attari. Instead of travelling directly from Pakistan, the brides and their relatives began using international transit points to reach India.

300 more Pakistani women waiting

While the immediate hurdle has been cleared for around 150 brides, the community says the issue is far from over.

Jhambia said nearly 300 more Pakistani women are still waiting in Pakistan to marry men in India. The community has requested the Indian government to issue visas to these women and their families as well.

With PTI inputs