Foreign ministry directed to decide Indian woman’s plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to decide application of Indian Sikh woman seeking Pakistani nationality and visa extension which she submitted after embracing Islam and marrying a Pakistani man.

A 31-year old Kiran Bala, now Amna Bibi, arrived in Lahore from Delhi (India) on a valid visa to attend religious rituals at Gurudwara Punja Sahib and contracted marriage with Muhammad Azam who was her Facebook friend.

Representing Amna, Advocate Ijaz Ahmad Khan argued before the court that the petitioner submitted two separate applications to the Foreign Ministry seeking Pakistani nationality and extension in her visa, which was going to expire on April 21.

He said the petitioner was ready for due verification to acquire the citizenship of Pakistan, her husband’s country. The counsel argued that article 15 of Universal Declaration Human Rights empowered everyone to a nationality and also to change nationality. He said the petitioner during her lawful visit to Pakistan married Azam and developed a right to seek nationality of her husband’s country and extension in her visa.

The lawyer asked the court to order the ministry to decide applications of the petitioner as early as possible and not to take any coercive measure against her or her husband. Justice Jawad Hassan disposed of the petition and directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to decide applications of the petitioner within three days.

Talking to reporters, Amna Bibi revealed that her sole purpose to visit Pakistan was to marry Azam. She said she liked Pakistan and found its people loving and caring. “I do not want to go back to India where women get no respect, she said.

To a query, she denied having children back in India and said she showed herself a mother in travelling documents to get visa. However, she said her former husband had died. Azam is a resident Hanjarwal and employed at an aluminum workshop.