- By Priyanka Koul
- Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant development for Hindu migrants from Pakistan residing in Rajasthan’s border regions, the Union Home Ministry has introduced updated guidelines. These changes now permit Pakistani nationals holding Long-Term Visas (LTVs) to remain in India.
Following the rollout of these new rules, over 1,000 LTV applications have reportedly been submitted in districts like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Barmer, as per the Free Press Journal.
The amended regulations ensure that Pakistani citizens living in India on LTVs are no longer required to exit the country. Those with expired LTVs are also eligible to apply for extensions under the new framework.
The Free Press Journal further reported that applicants who have submitted LTV requests or whose applications are still being reviewed will not face deportation. Authorities are also welcoming new applications that include valid documents.
The guidelines also extend support to Muslim women married to Indian citizens and staying in India on LTVs, allowing them to continue residing legally. Meanwhile, the Foreigners Registration Office in Jodhpur has initiated a focused campaign to process and register LTV applications for Pakistani nationals.
Tensions between India and Pakistan surged after the Pahalgam terror attack, leaving many Pakistani citizens in India, especially Hindu refugees, in a state of anxiety. Many of them had fled religious persecution in Pakistan and are still waiting to be granted Indian citizenship.
Hindu Singh Sodha, a representative of Lok Seemant Sangathan, an organisation advocating for Hindu migrants, described the updated guidelines as a major relief. He stressed that sending these individuals back to Pakistan, where they no longer have any ties or belongings, would have been a grave injustice.