INDORE: Challenging delay in granting Indian citizenship to migrant Pakistani Hindus, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Thursday, following which notices were issued to Union ministry of home, ministry of external affairs, Government of India and Government of Madhya Pradesh.
PIL was filed by Pujya Jacobabad Zila Sindhi Panchayat, a social organization working for welfare of migrant Sindhis, on behalf of nearly 6,000 migrant Pakistani Hindus staying in Indore on which double bench of Justices Shantanu Kemkar and JK Jain issued notices directing to file reply within four weeks.
Counselor for petitioner, Raghvendra Singh Raghuvanshi said the issue of granting Indian citizenship to these persons was also raised in Parliament in 2012 and 2013, but to no avail. Though some of them have been granted Indian citizenship, their minor children, who came to India along with their parents bearing appropriate endorsement on their Pakistani passports, are not being granted citizenship despite completion of the necessary formalities by them.
This undue delay is blatant violation of human rights and other legal rights as these Pakistani Hindus are unable to seek employment or earn livelihood, purchase vehicles, house, even stamp papers on their own name for want of identity cards and citizenship.
From time to time, Government of India issued various guidelines and circulars for easing their problems, but Madhya Pradesh is not acting in accordance with it. Collectors of the districts concerned have been authorized and delegated power of processing the citizenship applications within a time frame under Citizenship Rules, but they are not acting in accordance with law.