Calls grow to allow return of long-term visa holders from Pakistan

Nagpur: Relatives of Pakistani citizens who were living in India on long-term visas (LTVs), but are stranded in Pakistan after going there for brief visits before the Covid lockdown, have sent SOS messages through videos. They are requesting authorities to be allowed to come back to India. Some of the stranded persons too have sent similar videos.
The videos are addressed to member of Parliament from Indore Shanker Lalwani, who had championed the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in Pakistan.Though the Indian nationals have come back home, there are another close to 800 persons, including over 30 from Nagpur, who had gone on no-objection return to India (NORI) visas, but have been unable to return.
They had gone to meet their kin on three-month NORI visa — a facility available to LTV holders. They were stranded as borders were shut following the lockdown. The Pakistani nationals have applied for Indian citizenship and were hoping to get it under the CAA.
There are cases of mothers being separated from their children aged two to four years, as they had gone for a quick visit and left them behind. Some elderly parents are also waiting for their children to return. The stranded also include people with illnesses, some of whom are not getting access to medical care as they are in remote areas of Pakistan.
Rajesh Jhambhia, who heads the Sindhi — Hindi Panchayat, said both the governments should consider the issue on humanitarian grounds as the lockdown has left families split across each side of the border.
Krishna Punjabi appears in one such video, appealing that his wife Mamta, who is a Pakistani citizen, should be allowed to come back to India. “She had gone to Sindh province to visit her parents with our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and could not return due to the lockdown. She has gone into depression and cannot look after the child properly,” he says.
Avinash, who had gone in February to get married, is also stranded. His family has been living in India on LTV for 20 years.
An elderly Rajkumar Chawla from Aurangabad begs to be reunited with his son. “His mother has taken ill,” he says as his wife resting in a bed by his side is seen in the clipping.
Nandlal Udasi from Nagpur is suffering from urine retention, and says he cannot access proper medical facility in Pakistan. “My cousin is a doctor in Nagpur. If allowed to return, I may get the right treatment,” he said.
“He needs a catheter, which is leading to frequent infections,” said Dr Harish Udasi, Nandlal’s cousin.
Lalwani told TOI orders to extend their visas have been issued. Their extended stay in Pakistan will not be counted as a break in their seven years’ of residence in India, which would have disqualified them from getting citizenship.
On their evacuation, Lalwani said so far the priority was to bring back Indian citizens, but admitted the NORI visa holders were facing problems too. He said a meeting will be held between Union ministers of home, external affairs and health to decide on bringing NORI holders back.
TOI also came across a letter by Lalwani requesting Union home minister Amit Shah to consider their case.