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 Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (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 CAA.

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 visitin

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