Delay in case of Pak Hindus baffles NHRC

Jalandhar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its order of October 2014 had expressed astonishment at such a long delay in granting Indian citizenship to Hindus who migrated from Pakistan and settled here over 18 years back.
The commission had also asked the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) that how soon will it be able to process request of the Pakistani Hindus to grant them citizenship.
"The commission fails to understand as to why some Hindus who left Pakistan and came to India in 1996 and whose probability of going back to Pakistan is practically non-existent and continue to live in India on a long term visa, have not been granted citizenship," NHRC noted in its order following a complaint by Surinder Kumar Billa, president of All India Hindu Shiv Sena, who passed away in March 2013.
Billa, who has been pursuing the issue for the last quite a few years, in his complaint had pointed out that around 150 members of 20 Hindu families who had come from Sialkot and settled in three villages of Ambala district in Haryana, had neither been granted citizenship nor refugee status and they were facing hardships. Taking cognizance of the complaint, NHRC had sought action taken report from authorities concerned of MHA.
After examining the response from MHA and Ambala division commissioner, NHRC also held that it "is of the view that due process should have been completed long back and all those who are eligible of becoming citizens of India should have been given citizenship."
It has also asked that how soon MHA would be able to get the request of Pakistani Hindus for citizenship processed so that they can avail all the benefits.