14 Kashmiri students allowed to travel home after completing quarantine in Punjab

Srinagar: A group of 14 Kashmiri students who were put under quarantine in Amritsar after their arrival from Pakistan have been allowed to travel to Kashmir.

The students were put under quarantine on March 18 at Amritsar after their arrival from Pakistan.

“We are all medical students pursuing degrees in different medical colleges in Pakistan. We completed quarantine period recently and now we are heading towards Kashmir,” said one of the students.

The students had reached Udhampur district of Jammu when this report was being filed.

The students said they were allowed to travel to Kashmir after Punjab government pleaded their case with the J&K administration.

“Earlier, our local administration did not allow us to travel to Kashmir and asked the Punjab government to put us under quarantine,” the student said.

The students said they were provided transport facilities by Punjab government upto Lakhanpur and from there the arrangement of transport was done by the J&K administration.

The student said they tested negative for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after completing the quarantine period.

“None of us was positive earlier as well, but our samples were taken as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of our health,” the student said.

Deputy commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary also confirmed the arrival of the students and said the group will be allowed to join their families.

“They have completed the quarantine period and have got the medical certificates along. So they don’t have problem in going home,” he said.

Hundreds of J&K residents, including students, patients and traders are stranded in many states outside in view of the ongoing lockdown across India. The stranded students and other families are demanding for their evacuation to Kashmir but there has been no respite for them till date.

Around 500 Kashmiri students are also stranded in Bangladesh due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown and suspension of all international and domestic flights in India.