ISLAMABAD: In a landmark decision, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the government to grant Pakistani citizenship to an Afghan boy, who was born in Pakistan 24 years back.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the orders after hearing the plea of a 24-year-old Pakistan-born Afghan refugee man, who had sought Pakistani citizenship.
The IHC directed the interior ministry to take steps to grant Pakistani citizenship to young Afghan refugee.
The court also ordered that the government should fully implement the decision in light of senator Hamdullah’s case.
The IHC chief justice ordered to complete legal process by next Friday on the citizenship of the application.
The court said that the interior ministry should complete the legal proceedings and submit the report to the court next Friday.
When IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the case, advocate Umar Ejaz Gillani appeared on behalf of 24-year-old Fazal Haq in the court.
The counsel for the petitioner said: “My client spent 24 years in Pakistan without any citizenship.”
The IHC chief justice said that any child born in Pakistan will become a citizen of Pakistan and the child will only need a birth certificate.
The judge said that, like the United States and some other countries, “Our law also binds us to give citizenship to every child born in Pakistan”.
The counsel for the interior ministry told the court that a decision will be taken after the verification of the birth certificate of the petitioner.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case till Friday, October 28.
