PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has ordered the Interior Ministry to process Afghan refugees’ applications for Pakistani citizenship on the basis of their refugees cards.
The PHC judge Waqar Ahmed heard various applications in this regard in the Peshawar High Court.
The petitioner’s lawyer Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel told the court that the refugees’ card has been issued by the Government of Pakistan and according to Pakistani law, if someone spends four years in Pakistan, he becomes eligible for citizenship.
The petitioner’s lawyer referred to Section 3 Naturalization Act 1926 and also gave examples of other decisions in this regard. He said that the Interior Ministry was contacted several times but the application is not being processed there.
If a person has been residing legally or illegally in foreign countries and has proof of this, he would have been granted citizenship, however, despite the existence of the law in Pakistan, it is not being implemented.
He informed the court that those who are seeking Pakistani citizenship neither have access to the Interior Ministry nor they are being heard.
The court, while disposing of various petitions, also issued orders to the Ministry of Interior to dispose of these petitions under Section 3.
