MP: 20,000 Pak Sindhis may get citizenship, long-term visas

Good news for 20,000 odd Pakistani Sindhis living in Indore as the Union government is going to hold a special camp for Sindhis in Indore on February 19 and 20 in connection with granting them citizenship or long-term visas.

Good news for 20,000 odd Pakistani Sindhis living in Indore as the Union government is going to hold a special camp for Sindhis in Indore on February 19 and 20 in connection with granting them citizenship or long-term visas.

This has been a long pending demand of the Sindhis, many of whom have shifted permanently to Indore after facing massive oppression in Pakistan.

Migrant Hindu Help Centre (MHHC) head and International Development Association (IDA) chairman Shankar Lalwani said that they have received a letter from the union home ministry in this connection. The letter is signed by undersecretary to the government of India BVR Murthy and it mentions that similar camps would be held in Bhopal on February 12 and 13 and in Banaskantha, Gujarat on February 19 and 20.

At present, the Sindhis have to regularly renew their visas, which is a major problem for them. All the Pakistani Sindhis in Indore have been asked to keep their documents ready so that they can take advantage of this camp.

The camp is being held after a meeting was called by the home ministry on December 12, 2014 in which representatives of all the state governments were called to discuss the ways issuing of citizenship and long-term visas to Sindhis living in India. Among others, Lalwani, MHHC secretary Deepchand Chawla and Jaipaldas Gehi were also invited to the meeting.

Lalwani said that the deputy secretary, home ministry, Joseph Luikham, state level officials and senior Indore-based administration officials will be present at the camp.