Pakistani man travels to India without visa, enjoys vada pav at Mumbai airport, video goes viral

A Pakistani businessman, Waqas Hassan, has announced that he went to India on an IndiGo flight, a step that shocked thousands of people. Pakistani passport holders can technically visit India after acquiring a visa. The visa process for Pakistani citizens is, however, more complex because of historical animosity and security issues between India and Pakistan. Consequently, tourist travel between the two nations is uncommon.

Waqas Hassan's action, however, was entirely legal, and he did not even acquire an Indian visa. He took an IndiGo flight from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with a six-hour halt in Mumbai.

In an Instagram video, Pakistani entrepreneur Waqas Hassan revealed a lesser-known fact about traveling to India with a Pakistani passport. According to Hassan, individuals with a Pakistani passport can fly to India as long as it's a connecting flight.

“This time I’m flying from Singapore to Saudi Arabia. And currently I’m in Mumbai,” Hassan said while walking through Mumbai airport.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by WAQAS HASSAN (@waqashassn)

Hassan explained that there are some regulations under which Pakistani citizens traveling to India on a layover flight are subject. In particular, they are not permitted to leave the airport during the layover and hence self-check-in flights are not possible for Pakistanis.

What was the risk?

Despite these restrictions, Hassan seemed to enjoy his small stay at Mumbai airport. During his six-hour layover, he spent time relaxing in an airport lounge, purchased a few souvenirs, and even sampled the popular Mumbai snack, vada pav. "It's a pretty fun feeling," Hassan said, recounting his experience.

Hassan revealed that he had opted to fly with an Indian carrier, IndiGo, from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with a stopover at Mumbai. As Hassan explained, Indian carriers tend to provide discounted fares on routes going from east to west and thus are good choices for such routes.

“I have been travelling for 15 years. Nobody told me that we [Pakistanis] can transit through India. So when I booked this ticket, there was a slight bit of risk involved as well,” said the Singapore-based Pakistani entrepreneur.

He confirmed that he was initially reluctant to purchase his ticket because of fears of risks. He, however, found out that flying with an Indian airline on a connecting flight was a valid option, even though not very well known. Hassan's action in sharing his experience on social media has raised awareness regarding this relatively unknown facet of global travel.

“When I gave them my passport at the airport, they also looked at me in surprise. They said not many Pakistani people do this, so it was a new experience for them as well,” he said on Instagram.

Pakistani businessman Waqas Hassan has posted an interesting story regarding his recent layover experience at Mumbai airport. Hassan claims that even the airport officials were surprised when they saw his Pakistani passport, suggesting that they did not know that Pakistani citizens are allowed to transit through Indian airports.

Social media reaction

Hassan's video explaining what happened to him has triggered an active discussion on social media, with a huge number of viewers and mixed reactions from the public.

Taking to the comment section a user wrote, "Glad you got to touch Indian soil. So close yet so far due to politics. Hope you enjoyed the vada pao."

"Omg I didn't knew this before!!! Will defo transit through India," wrote another user.

A third user said, "What’s the happiness in staying at a airport of a country which would never allow you to step out."