Rampur/Lucknow: Nearly two decades after leaving Pakistan for India, 38-year-old Poonam, who has been living in Rampur on a long-term visa, has finally been granted Indian citizenship under the CAA in an unforgettable Diwali gift for her family.
Poonam, who came to India in 2004 with her brother Gagan amid growing militancy in Pakistan’s Swat region, had been waiting for years to secure legal recognition as an Indian citizen.
Her brother was granted citizenship in 2016, but her own application faced repeated rejections before finally being approved this year under the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Poonam had initially moved between Delhi and Rampur after arriving in India. In 2005, she married Puneet Kumar, a local businessman, and the couple have a child. She continued visiting her family in Pakistan until 2013, when the absence of a valid Pakistani ID prevented the renewal of her passport and effectively ended her visits home.
Speaking to news agency on Tuesday, Puneet Kumar said the family was overjoyed to receive confirmation of her citizenship from the agencies concerned just before Diwali.