'Sindhis coming from Pakistan be granted citizenship'

A senior leader of the Sindhi community today urged the Centre to take immediate steps to grant citizenship to Sindhis who had arrived from Pakistan on religious visas and did not want to return fearing persecution.

"There are nearly 3,000 refugees belonging to Sindhi community who have arrived in India on religious visa following harassment in Pakistan on religious grounds and now don't want to return," senior Sindhi community leader, Shankar Lalwani, told PTI.

"They also include people belonging to Sikh community," he claimed.

The Centre had recently advised the states and the Union Territories that after following due procedures they can consider granting Long Term Visa (LTV) to such people.

But Lalwani said such visas were not a permanent solution.

Kishandas (60), who arrived in India recently on a religious visa for 35 days, but stayed here, claimed: "With great difficulty I managed to come to India on a religious visa after my grocery shop was looted by two persons in Jacobabad area. When I protested they shot at me but somehow I survived and came to India."

"The condition of religious minorities in Pakistan is very bad as nobody listens to our grievances. Therefore I did not report the matter to the police there," he alleged.