NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash Jaiswal has said that Pakistan is opposed to an agreement to grant people of both countries dual citizenship.

According to the United News of India, the minister was grilled by lawmakers in the Lok Sabha, who wanted to know why the Indian government had not considered Pakistanis and Bangladeshis eligible for the citizenship law they later passed on Tuesday.

The bill, which replaces an ordinance promulgated on June 28, seeks to extend the scope of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) of all countries, except Pakistan and Bangladesh, as long as their countries allow dual citizenship in any form under their laws.

At present, the dual citizenship is applicable to PIOs settled in 16 countries.

Asked why Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were not considered eligible for the facility since theoretically, they too qualify as PIOs under the legal definitions prescribed in the bill, Mr Jaiswal first said that the ‘people had migrated to these countries of their own will’.

On persistent queries, he said that he ‘cannot force any country to amend its constitution to provide dual citizenship,’ suggesting that the matter was broached with Pakistan.

Under the new law, PIOs who are registered as OCI under the Citizenship Act 1955 will be granted a multi-purpose, multiple entry life-long visa to visit India.

Mr Jaiswal sought to allay the apprehensions of the members about internal security considerations involved in the issue, saying that ‘fool-proof arrangements have been made to ensure that no NRI (non-resident Indian) with a criminal background or one who has been prosecuted or possesses doubtful credentials is given this facility.’

Mr Jaiswal said the facility has been provided to the NRIs of 16 countries of which the governments had ‘responded positively...Besides, we have to be very cautious in the matter.’