Ishtiyaq Kar
ahmad.ishtiyaq973@gmail.com
Srinagar, Apr 16 (KINS): Ten out of 15 Kashmiri students who were stranded near the Astara border in Iran will now return home after receiving the mandatory exit codes, following the intervention of the Indian Embassy in Iran.
Most of these Indian Nationals are female MBBS students.
Out of around 15 students stuck at the border, at least 10 have now received the exit codes required to leave Iran and enter Azerbaijan, from where they will travel back to India.
The students and their families have expressed relief and gratitude towards the embassy for its timely help.
“We were waiting for days without any clarity. Today, 10 out of 15 students have received the exit codes and can finally cross into Azerbaijan and return home. We are very thankful to the embassy officials for their support,” one of the stranded students told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
The evacuation process began after rising tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which led the Indian government to advise its citizens in Iran to leave the country. Since then, efforts have been ongoing to move Indians to safer areas and arrange their return.
Around 1,200 students had already returned from Iran after the effective intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.
The students said the main issue delaying their return was the lack of exit codes—official documents required to leave Iran. With most of them now receiving these documents, hopes are high that the remaining five students will also be cleared soon.
Back in Kashmir, families who had been deeply worried are finally breathing a sigh of relief. “We were extremely anxious and kept calling officials for updates. They assured us help, and today we are happy that our daughter has received the exit code,” said one relieved mother.
Earlier, the families had appealed to India’s External Affairs Minister to personally intervene in the matter. While they have appreciated the government’s efforts so far, they are still hoping that the remaining five students will receive their exit codes soon and return safely. (KINS)
