Pakistani woman granted Indian citizenship after 13 years

Tahira applied for Indian citizenship in March 2011 after completing the mandatory seven-year stay in India

After a 13-year long wait, a Pakistani woman has been granted Indian citizenship, the Press Trust of India reported.

According to officials, Tahira Hazoor received on Saturday evening a certificate of Indian citizenship from deputy commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal.

Tahira, 33, who hails from Faisalabad, got married to Maqbool Ahmad, a resident of Qadian, Gurdaspur, in 2003. She applied for Indian citizenship in March 2011 after completing the mandatory seven-year stay in India.



With no citizenship in hand over the course of the last 13 years, Tahira was not allowed to move out of Qadian, she revealed. Even the Punjab government had recommended her case to Union 33. She has two daughters and a son from her marriage, all of whom have Indian citizenship and are free to move to any place, Tahira said.

Elated over receiving her certificate of citizenship, Tahira has said she will first visit Pakistan to see her mother who has been unwell for the past five years. Further, Tahira said she will also apply for the Indian passport soon.



Her husband, Maqbool, and daughter Sumayala are currently in the UK to attend the wedding of a relative. Tahira was unable to attend the wedding as she did not have Indian citizenship or passport.

This article originally appeared on Times of India