Pakistan Citizenship Act important points explained.docx

Key points of Pakistan Citizenship Act

1. Pakistan Citizenship Act
1. Commenced at once.
2. Definitions:
Alien: Not Pakistani
Indo-Pakistan sub-continent: India
Minor: less than 21 years old
Common Wealth Citizen: Under British Nationality Act, 1948.
British Protected Person: British Nationality Act, 1948.
3. Citizenship when the law came into force:
a.Whose parents or grandparents were born in Pakistan and haven’t lived anywhere else
since Independence.
b.After receiving domicile, a person who or any of whose parents or grandparents was
born in the territories included in India can become a citizen.
c.Renounced the citizenship of any other country before this act is applied.
d.Migrated to Pakistan permanently.
4. Citizenship by birth:
Everyone except those whose father:
a.Not a Pakistani
b.Enemy
5. Citizenship by Descent:
A person is a Pakistani citizen if one parent is a citizen at the time of their birth.
If the parent is a citizen by descent only, the child’s birth must be registered at a Pakistani
consulate, or the parent must be serving the Pakistani government.
6. Citizenship by Migration:
People who migrated to Pakistan from India between the Act’s start and January 1, 1952, can
become citizens if they intend to live in Pakistan permanently, and have gotten their domicile.
This also applies to their spouse and children.
7. People Migrating to India:
Those who migrated from Pakistan to India after March 1, 1947, will not be considered
Pakistani citizens unless they return with a special permit.
8. Citizenship for Residents Abroad:
People born in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent and living abroad can apply for Pakistani
citizenship if their father or grandfather was from Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir foreign
residents under a Pakistani passport can also be considered citizens.

2. 9. Citizenship by Naturalization:
After recieving certificates.
10. Married women:
a.Married to a British, can become Paksiatni if her husband does too.
b.If she is someone who could have been a citizen and is amrried to Paksiatni, can apply
for citizenship.
c.Same case b applied to a could have been Pakistani man, married to a Pakistani
woman.
d.Someone who is deprived can be a national again if federal allows.
11. Registration of minors:
Anyone whose parents apply for the minor’s nationality.
Anyone who the government wants.
12. Once registered you become a Pakistani.
13. A new territory: Anyone who the president allows.
14. Dual Nationality: Not a Pakistani unless the other citizenship is renounced except:
a.Less than 21 years of age
b.Citizens of the areas having the title of state in Pakistan
c.2
nd
nationality is of the country allowed by Pakistan
d.Married to a foreigner
14- A: Someone who renounced Pakistani nationality after becoming a citizen of another
country. So does his kids who are minor and are not in Pakistan; not applicable otherwise. If
those kids later on decide to become Pakistani, they can apply.
14- B: Jammu Kahmiri migrated will be a Pakistani.
15. Persons becoming citizens to have the status of Commonwealth citizen
16. Deprived of nationality:
If the person falls under the following conditions:
Has received his domicile certificate by fraud.
In case of naturalization:
Disloyal to the country
Communicated and sided with the army during a war
Was sentenced in a foreign prison for 1 year, after 5 years of his naturalization
Pakistani citizens:
Who is a resident of a foreign country for 7 years after the commencement of this law:
Who has never been in the government service during that period
Has registered himself in Pakistani Consulate in that country or close

3. Government can’t make this order unless proven that the deprivation is in the country’s
benefit.
The person concerned must be given a chance to explain.
An Inquiry Committee can be made in such a case.
16-A: Citizenship of People from East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh):
People living in East Pakistan on December 16, 1971, lost Pakistani citizenship if they
stayed there or moved back there later.
Those who were in Pakistan on that day and stayed, or moved to Pakistan afterward
with approval, kept their citizenship.
Repatriation to Pakistan:
People whose return to Pakistan was approved by the government but haven’t returned before
a certain date in 1978 will still keep their Pakistani citizenship.
East Pakistan Citizens Abroad:
People who were citizens of Pakistan from East Pakistan and were living abroad on
December 16, 1971, will only be considered Pakistani citizens if they apply to the
government and are granted a certificate.
17.Domicile Certificate:
The government can give a domicile certificate to someone who has lived in Pakistan for at
least one year and intends to stay there.
18.Delegation of Power:
The government can give certain authorities the power to make decisions related to
citizenship.
19.Doubt About Citizenship:
If there’s any confusion about someone’s citizenship status, they can apply for a certificate
from the government to confirm they are a citizen.
20. Common wealth or British protected citizens can be Pakistanis on some conditions.
21. Lying about anything during the process is punishable under Pakistan Penal Code. 6
months in prison.
22. Someone born in a ship or aircraft is a citizen of that country.
If a kid’s father died before or after his birth, the father nationality will determine the
kid’s.