UAE residents cancel travel plans to India and Pakistan as tension mounts after Kashmir attack

Indians and Pakistanis in the Emirates pray for peace but brace for deepening divide

Asha Jain, second right, her husband and children were among more than 400 guests from the UAE who cancelled travel plans to Kashmir after a wedding was postponed. Photo: Jain family

Indian and Pakistani residents in the UAE have cancelled weddings and family gatherings in their home countries after a breakdown in ties over a deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Both countries have stopped issuing visas to citizens of the neighbouring country, suspended trade and cut the presence of diplomatic staff, with India blaming Pakistan for the killings in Kashmir on April 22.

Pakistan has denied it was behind the attack, in which a UAE resident was among the 26 tourists killed by gunmen in the Pahalgam region. Pakistan and India each control parts of Kashmir but claim the region in its entirety.

UAE residents spoke to The National to condemn the shooting while expressing their worry about the potential for a military conflict and the impact on their friends and family back home.

Asha Jain, 51, a Dubai resident, was preparing for a wedding and holiday with her family in Kashmir in two weeks. They would have been among more than 400 people from the UAE flying to Srinagar for the event that has now been cancelled.

“It’s really a tragedy because Kashmir is called ‘heaven on Earth’. We feel sad for the families of the people who died. I pray the situation does not escalate further,” said Ms Jain, an Indian homemaker.

The search is on for another venue and wedding guests have cancelled their travel bookings.

“There would have been 650 of us at the wedding, with more than 400 from the UAE," she said. "We were all very excited to travel.

"Since Kashmir is on everyone’s wish list and has been safe for many years, we had booked stays in several cities before and after the wedding.

"It’s also sad for the local people as tourism is badly hit. We cancelled all our bookings and are getting most of it refunded. We hope war does not happen and peace is restored.”

Deepening tension with exchanges of fire along the border between the armies adds to the uncertainty.

Khalid Siraj, 47, a Pakistani born in Dubai, has relatives in India, Pakistan and the UAE, and his family celebrate festivals and national days of each country.

The Siraj family live in Dubai and have relatives in India and Pakistan. Antonie Robertson / The National

Plans for his Indian nephew to marry in Pakistan were called off as travel for functions planned in Pakistan would not be possible with the suspension of visas.

“We have called off the wedding because of the tension and no visas,” said Mr Siraj, whose grandmothers and mother are from India. "Both families decided amicably to call it off now because we don’t know how long this tension will last.

“We had distributed cake and sweets, and the next day the tension began. There are genuine concerns about travel so we have decided to look for other proposals," he added. “Of course people are upset about it but hope everything will be sorted out with discussions.”

The UAE remains a neutral space for families like the Siraj clan with relatives on both sides of the border.

“We realise now more than ever what a wise decision our grandparents took in the 1970s to move to Dubai, which is a neutral place, so at least our families can meet here,” Mr Siraj said.

No winners

Most Indians and Pakistanis overseas anticipate hostilities will intensify in the coming days.

“Any killing of innocent people is not acceptable and what happened in Pahalgam is nothing but brutal killing,” said Sudesh Aggarwal, an Indian business leader and chairman of the Giant Group in the UAE.

“India was attacked and their response is expected by many. I strongly condemn the attack and believe it will have a far-reaching impact on all kinds of India-Pakistan relations. I do worry about this but I know it will not impact people-to-people interaction overseas, like in the UAE.”

A retired Indian radiologist said he hoped both countries would show restraint. “The attack must be condemned and those involved must be brought to justice, but nobody wins if there is a war,” said Dr Lalchand Pancholia, 78, whose family has done business in the UAE since the late 1800s.

“War does not bring good to either side and we are seeing that in other parts of the world. I’m hoping that wise counsel will prevail.”

An anti-India protest in Rawalpindi. Pakistan's military shot down an Indian drone along the de facto Kashmir border on Tuesday, a week after the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years. AFP

A man prepares a bunker at his house in the Neelum Valley in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. EPA

Indian paramilitary soldiers on patrol in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir. AP

Indian army vehicles on their way to Hapat Nar in Anantnag district, south of Kashmir. AFP

A Pakistani mother says goodbye to her son, an Indian citizen, as she returns to her country at the Wagah border. AFP

An Indian border officer inspects the passport and documents of Pakistanis in Wagah. AFP

The family of one of the victims of the April 22 attack in their home in Hapatnar, in Anantnag district. AFP

Badamwari Park, a popular garden in central Srinagar, closed by authorities as a safety measure. EPA

Pakistani influencer Farooq Shah, better known as Chacha Pakistani or Uncle Pakistani to his 2.4 million TikTok followers, also hopes for a peaceful settlement.

"What happened was wrong and should never have happened,” he said. "And for Pakistan to stop Indian planes from using our airspace and India to stop water – that also should not happen. I hope both countries talk to each other. We are together as friends in the UAE but any war will be bad for people at home.”