After assurance from Rajnath, Pak migrants see ray of hope

JODHPUR: Fifteen hundred-odd immigrants from Pakistan are hopeful of getting Indian citizenship after an assurance from Union home minister Rajnath Singh to fulfil their long-pending demand ‘very soon’.

Nearly 2,000 families that fled Pakistan for various reasons over the years and settled in Jodhpur are facing several problems in the absence of citizenship rights.

Seemant Lok Sangthan president Hindu Singh Soda, who has been fighting for the rights of Pakistani immigrants for years, had apprised the Union home minister about the problems being faced by the Pakistani immigrants, during a meeting on Thursday.

According to Soda, Rajnath Singh has assured to initiate the process of granting citizenship to the migrants from Pakistan “very soon”. Following directions from the Union home ministry, more than 1,500 Pakistani immigrants have applied for the citizenship in recent special camps, but the right to grant the citizenship lies with the Union government, Soda said.

Soda said until the right of granting citizenship is transferred to the district collectors, it is difficult to sort out the applications in short duration. He said the Seemant Lok Sangthan has demanded for a separate legislation or policy so that an institutional mechanism could be introduced that would help the immigrants bring into the mainstream in a friendly manner. There is a need to make concrete decisions on issues like visa, additional visa, overstay regularisation, visa extension and cut in visa fee among other things, he added.

The Pakistani immigrants have also been demanding that the refugees, who have not completed seven years period on long-term visa, should also be given the government facilities so that they can be brought into the mainstream.

Currently, Pakistani immigrants are required to stay for seven years on long-term visa to seek Indian citizenship.

Chetandas (60), a government teacher in Pakistan, had moved to India about 12 years ago, but he has not been granted citizenship so far. In the absence of Indian documents, these Pakistani migrants are facing a number of problems such as opening a bank account, running a business or seeking employment.