By TCN News,
New Delhi: Two days after the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Kashmir extending hands of friendship to Pakistan, the Government of India today relaxed norms for Indian Citizenship to certain categories of Pakistan Nationals staying in India.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs has asked to the State Governments/UT Administration to consider cases for extension of the Long-term Visa (LTV) of certain categories of Pakistani nationals without insisting of validity of passports as per the provisions of the Gazette notification issued on May, 15, 2010 as such Pakistani nationals have come to India permanently with the intention to attain Indian citizenship. “However, only such Pakistani nationals are eligible to be considered for grant/extension of LTV who have come to India on or before December, 31, 2010,” says the Central Government release.
The matter was examined in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Law and it has been decided to grant exemption to such Pak nationals from the provisions of Rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920. Accordingly, an order to this effect has been notified on May 15, 2010.
The following categories of Pak nationals are covered to enable them to qualify for extension of Visa:
(a) Member of minority communities in Pakistan (Hindus & Sikhs)
(b) Pak women married to Indian nationals and staying in India.
(c) Indian women married to Pak nationals and returning due to widowhood/divorce and having no male member to support them in Pakistan and
(d) Cases involving extreme compassion.
“In addition to abovementioned four categories of Pak nationals, grant of LTV is also being considered in the case of male Muslim community members being originally Indian citizen who went to Pakistan after partition leaving behind family in India and returned back to India on a valid passport issued by the Government of Pakistan and settled in the State of Kerala so that they can acquire Indian Citizenship,” the government said.