The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Thursday said that a person born in Pakistan only requires a birth certificate to be called a Pakistani and citizenship is his or her right.
Justice Minallah gave the aforementioned remarks during the hearing of the case pertaining issue of granting citizenship to a person born to an Afghan refugee family in Pakistan.
A 24-year-old Afghan born in Pakistan had filed an application in the court seeking Pakistani citizenship. On behalf Fazal Haq, lawyer Umer Ijaz Gilani appeared in the court. The lawyer said his client spent 24 years in Pakistan without any citizenship. The court ordered to grant petitioner Pakistani nationality in light of the verdict in Hafiz Hamdullah’s case.
“Just like laws in countries such as America and others, our law is also bound to grant citizenship to every child born here,” the chief justice remarked.
He further ordered the Interior Ministry to complete the legal process by next Friday and submit a report on it. The Interior Ministry’s counsel assured the court that they will soon verify the birth certificate of the Afghan person.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case while seeking a report till October 28. Meanwhile, the IHC sought comments from respondents on a petition alleging torture on accused in police stations of federal capital during the custody.
Justice Aamer Farooq of IHC heard the case filed by Imaan Zainab Mazari Advocate.
The petitioner’s lawyer adopted the stance that the torture against the accused in police stations was violation of basic human rights. The petitioner had also raised the matter of implementation on police order, he said.
The lawyer prayed the court to issue orders for stopping the torture on accused at police stations and seek an affidavit from capital’s police regarding it. The court served notices on respondents and sought comments within two weeks.
It may be mentioned here that earlier Chief Justice Athar Minallah had ordered to shift this case to the court of Justice Aamer Farooq.
