Britain removes citizenship from two IS brides of Pakistani heritage: report

Published
Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, left east London for Syria in 2013, and between them now have five boys under the age of eight. — AFP/File
Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, left east London for Syria in 2013, and between them now have five boys under the age of eight. — AFP/File

Britain has revoked citizenship from two more women who joined the militant Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, a newspaper reported on Sunday, raising questions about the fate of their children.

The revelation follows a row over a similar decision regarding London teenager Shamima Begum, whose newborn baby died in a Syrian refugee camp last week.

Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, left east London for Syria in 2013, and between them now have five boys under the age of eight, The Sunday Times newspaper said.

Citing legal sources, the paper said they had been stripped of their British citizenship.

The pair, who are of Pakistani heritage, reportedly married into a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

The British interior ministry said it does not comment on individual cases.

A spokesman said: “Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly.”

Begum, who married a Dutch IS fighter, was located by journalists in a refugee camp after fleeing fighting between the terror group and US-backed forces.

She had asked to return to Britain with her baby, after her two other children died under IS rule.

Interior minister Sajid Javid revoked her citizenship amid security fears, but has been criticised for not doing more to help her son.

British law states that the government cannot remove a person's citizenship if that would make them stateless.

Begum was thought to be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents, but Dhaka said she could not go there.

Javid has previously said that more than 100 individuals had already been deprived of their British citizenship.

Opinion

Editorial

GB Assembly’s demand
Updated 21 Jul, 2026

GB Assembly’s demand

THE newly elected Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly last week adopted a unanimous resolution asking the centre to grant the...
Spain’s statement
21 Jul, 2026

Spain’s statement

IT was a one-sided affair for the most part. The FIFA World Cup 2026 concluded in the early hours of Monday for...
Slow death
21 Jul, 2026

Slow death

MANCHHAR Lake, which is situated at the foot of the Kirthar range, was once Pakistan’s largest freshwater body ...
Unmasking stability
Updated 20 Jul, 2026

Unmasking stability

THREE reports last Friday — a widening food trade gap, return to a current account deficit, and the government’s...
Flood data gap
20 Jul, 2026

Flood data gap

HAVING endured one of its worst floods last year — triggered by intense monsoons and compounded by sudden water...
Zero-dose alert
20 Jul, 2026

Zero-dose alert

ALTHOUGH Pakistan recently announced its first National Vaccine Policy, it will take time before the immunity gap ...