ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday directed the Interior Ministry to take measures for awarding Pakistani citizenship to a 24-year-old Pakistani-origin Afghan national.
A single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing of a petition filed by 24-year-old Fazal Haq belonging to an Afghan migrated family. The petitioner contended that he was born in Pakistan and living here for 24 years. At this, the IHC Chief Justice remarked that like many countries including America, Pakistan law also was bound to give citizenship to a person born there. The petitioner was required to produce just birth certificate, he added. Then, the IHC bench directed the interior ministry to conclude its legal work regarding the citizenship of the petitioner till next Friday and deferred the proceedings. The officials of the ministry assured the court that the decision regarding the citizenship would be taken soon after the reification of birth certificate