Monday, December 26 2005 12:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: A comparatively peaceful state Madhya Pradesh seems to be the hot destination for Hindus in Pakistan to lead a respectable life.

Immigrating from the Islamic country, the Pakistani Hindus, mostly Sindhis, take advantage of red-tape and slack law enforcing agencies to extend their stay and earn a livelihood in the state.

Over 3,200 requests from Pakistanis for Indian citizenship are pending in Indore, considered to be the business capital of the state, foreigner registration officer Arun Jain told sources.

An equal number has applied for renewal of their long-term visas and had been staying for decades with their relatives, official sources said.

Centrally-located Madhya Pradesh, where 195 Pakistanis have disappeared and which offers a safe haven for 4,188 Pakistani nationals, including 3,999 Hindus provides a healthy platform for majority of them to practice trade and even medicine without fulfilling requirements of concerned agencies, they said.

While the Pakistanis continue to increase their involvement in trade and healthcare sectors, police claim that none of the foreigners were overstaying and put the onus of preventing the trend on central ministries and agencies like the Medical Council of India (MCI).

"We are concerned only if Pakistanis are staying here illegally. Whether they practice medicine or trade without their visas allowing it, other agencies are there to look into it," a senior police officer said, adding, "However, action can be taken under section 14 of the foreigners act."

State Government and intelligence agencies had a hard time last month when the Indore branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA), prompted by its internal politics, exposed around 39 Pakistani doctors who had gained its membership and had been practicing medicine without registering themselves with the MCI.

Prompted by a complaint lodged as part of IMA's anti-quackery drive, district administration probed the matter and found substance in the allegations, sources said.

"Out of the Pakistani doctors mentioned in the complaint, only one was found to possess MCI registration, while 22 had certificates to show their Indian citizenship," Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer K K Vijayvergiya, reported to the district collector after probing IMA's complaints.

"One of the doctors had a MBBS degree from Baluchistan, which is not recognised by the MCI," he added.

As intelligence sleuths swung into action after the episode, the doctors closed their clinics for some time, only to resume practice after a week, sources said.

"They are backed by politicians, surprisingly from saffron outfits, who are pressurising us to withdraw the drive," an IMA office-bearer said on condition of anonymity.

While professional activities of Pakistani nationals, who arrive here mostly on long-term visas, continued law-enforcing agencies claim their documents were in order.

"There was nothing wrong with their papers. Most of them had applied for Indian citizenship or visa renewals," police said.

"We had applied for renewal of visas. Either the Indian Government should accept it or send us a letter mentioning its rejection," one of the Pakistani doctors said.