Anti-Muslim citizenship law exposes India’s sinister agenda: FO
Pakistan yesterday denounced implementation of India’s controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), labelling it discriminatory and divisive. Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch condemned the CAA, highlighting its discriminatory nature which segregates individuals based on their religious beliefs.
The controversial Act, which was an amendment to the 1955 Citizenship Act, was first introduced in the parliament in July 2016 and passed in December 2019.
Before the CAA, any foreign national seeking Indian citizenship through naturalisation needed to have spent 11 years in India to become eligible.
The CAA expedites Indian citizenship applications of Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who entered India from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before December 31, 2014. They become eligible for citizenship in five years. Applicants from these faiths are eligible even if they are currently living in India without valid visas or other required paperwork.
Read more: https://www.nation.com.pk/15-Mar-2024/anti-muslim-citizenship-law-exposes-india-s-sinister-agenda-fo