As police launch verification drive, Pakistani Hindu refugees anxious about their status

New Delhi: 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.

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 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 and their applications for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are still being processed.

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 told PTI.

Recently, the 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," an official 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.

Krishan Lal, another resident of the refugee camp, said he is worried about his family. "My wife, children and brother applied for Indian citizenship, but it hasn't been granted yet," Lal said.

"I don't know if their visas will now be cancelled or if they will be allowed to stay," he added.

Kanhaiya, who runs a small tea stall in Majnu Ka Tila, said he has no home to return to in Pakistan.

"There is no one left for us in Pakistan. If we are asked to leave Delhi, we will have nowhere to go and no way to survive," he said.

Dayal Das, who heads another refugee camp in the area, said local police contacted him recently, seeking details about the residents who received citizenship, those who have not, and how many new families have arrived.

"In the past two months alone, 10 to 12 new families have come here from Pakistan," Das said.

Reshma, a mother of two, said her children have just started going to school nearby. She dreams of giving them a better future in India.

"We had started feeling hopeful when some people here received citizenship," she said.

"Now, with document checks happening, we don't know whether we will be allowed to stay or be sent back," she said Earlier, on March 11, the Centre had granted Indian citizenship to 186 Pakistani Hindus under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. However, many others are still waiting.

After the decision on the suspension of visas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also spoken to the chief ministers of all states, directing them to ensure that no Pakistani national stays beyond the new deadline.

The revocation of visas does not apply to long-term visas issued to Hindu Pakistani nationals, these remain valid, officials said.

Earlier, India suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani citizens, giving those currently in India under this scheme 48 hours to leave.

As the April 27 deadline approaches, the atmosphere among Hindu refugees from Pakistan remains tense, with families clinging to hope that they will not be uprooted again.