45 more Pakistani Hindus arrive in Jodhpur

Exodus of Hindu families from Pakistan continues with the latest being the arrival of 45 more people in Rajasthan from the neighbouring country, police said Monday. The Pakistanis, who arrived in Jodhpur on the Thar Link Express Sunday, have expressed their wish to stay on in India, police added.

"Most of them belong to the Rebari and Bheel communities," a police officer told IANS. Over 200 Pakistani Hindus landed in Jodhpur on September 10, which was followed by around 195 more people, including the 45, arriving in groups since then. Most of them have reported torture at the hands of hardliners in Pakistan.

"While some of the Pakistanis were being shifted to Nagaur district as per the the specifications on their visa papers, others are putting up in camps in Jodhpur along with other Hindus from Pakistan," said the officer.

The Pakistani Hindus are yet to get proper accommodation in Jodhpur despite BJP and Congress leaders promising to help them. They were initially living in a temple. But as their numbers swelled, they were moved to tents.

According to Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group working for refugees in Rajasthan, over 1,10,000 Hindu migrants from Pakistan have been living in Rajasthan since 1971. Over 13,000 of them were granted citizenship by 2005-06 and more than 7,000 others have applied for long-term visas.