The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ruled against directing the Central Government to implement a comprehensive rehabilitation package for Pakistani migrants who have been granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. The decision came from a bench led by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who categorized the issue as a matter of government policy.
The petition, filed by the Akhil Bhartiya Dharma Prasar Samiti, highlighted the plight of a significant number of Pakistani migrants now residing in India, who the group claims are living under challenging conditions and in urgent need of support. According to the petitioner, these migrants require substantial assistance, including access to shelter, healthcare, education, and basic utilities such as water, electricity, and sanitation, to live with dignity.
However, the High Court bench maintained that the scope and execution of a rehabilitation package fall strictly within the purview of government policy and are not for the judiciary to dictate. The judges noted that the petitioner had already made representations to the authorities requesting consideration for such a rehabilitation package.
