Waqas Hassan, a Pakistani entrepreneur, flew to India on an IndiGo flight, and shared his experience on a social media website. He also claimed to have found the ‘hack’ of travelling to India without a visa, which he shared in the video.
What the ‘hack’ was
Hassan booked an IndiGo flight from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with a six-hour layover at the Mumbai international airport. While he did not have a visa to enter India, what he did was completely legal. He was, however, not allowed to exit the Mumbai airport.
Can Pakistani nationals travel to India?
Yes, but only with a valid tourist visa. However, considering the long history of tensions and security concerns between the two nations, the visa application for Pakistani nationals are more stringent. Tourism is rare between the two nations.
Hassan’s Mumbai airport sojourn
In the video shared by Hassan on Instagram, titled ‘I travelled to India on a Pakistani passport’, he talks about how Pakistani nationals can fly to India as long as it’s a connecting flight. Self check-in flights are not allowed for Pakistanis since he was not allowed to exit the airport, he said in the video.
“This time I’m flying from Singapore to Saudi Arabia. And currently I’m in Mumbai,” Hassan said while walking through Mumbai airport in his Instagram video.
In the short video, Hassan can be seen enjoying his short trip at the Mumbai airport. He visited the airport lounge, bought a few souvenirs and even tried the city’s local snack – vada pav – which he described as “a fun feeling”.