No one to be harassed, says DP
NEW DELHI, Apr 26: Pakistani Hindu refugees staying at Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila are anxious about their status due to inadequate information even though the Government has clarified that Long Term Visas (LTVs) already granted to Hindu Pakistani nationals will remain valid.
Delhi Police officials said that a verification drive has been launched but they will ensure that no one is harassed unnecessarily.
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India announced on Thursday that all visas issued to Pakistani nationals would be revoked from April 27 and asked these people to leave the country as tensions between the two countries escalated after the barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
While the Government later clarified that LTVs already granted to Hindu Pakistani nationals will remain valid, many refugees say they are worried about their fate as their visas are renewed every two years.
According to the official document of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Long Term Visa is extended every two years.
While many Pakistani Hindus living in Majnu-ka-Tila have got Indian Citizenship under the under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, there are also several others whose applications are still pending for the same.
Sona Das, president of the Hindu refugee community at Majnu Ka Tila, said several families have been living in Delhi for years, renewing their visas periodically after document verification by authorities.
“Also, many of these families crossed over from Pakistan just one or two months ago, some are living in camps near Majnu Ka Tila, while others have taken shelter under the Signature Bridge,” Das said.
Asked whether they have Long Term Visa (LTV), Dayal Das, president of another group of Hindu Refugees in Majnu-ka-Tila, said, “When we came here, we were given visas for two years, after which we need to get them extended.”
“Many people have already got their visas extended. However, I am not sure whether these visas are called long-term visas or not,” he added.
Recently, the Delhi Police asked the refugees to submit their documents for verification to check if anyone was staying illegally or using forged papers, he said.
“All relevant documents were collected, but people are nervous about what might happen next,” he added.
Delhi Police officials said they will ensure that no one is harassed unnecessarily. “We are simply checking that all migrants have proper documents,” a police officer said.
Following the Government’s directive, the Delhi Police has launched a drive to ensure that no Pakistani nationals are residing illegally in the capital. Officials said the focus would be on verifying documents of those who recently entered India. (PTI)
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