PESHAWAR, May 17: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday sought comments from the interior division on a writ petition challenging a Rs5 million fee slapped on an Indian couple seeking restoration of their Pakistani nationality.

Kanya Lal and Nisha Lal had renounced their Pakistani nationality in 1999 and got Indian citizenship. In 2004, they returned to Pakistan and applied to the interior division for restoration of their nationality.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Pervez Khan and Justice Ijaz Afzal heard the couple’s petition before directing the interior division, Islamabad, to submit comments on the matter.

The couple have challenged the interior division letter directing them to deposit Rs5 million or equivalent amount in foreign currency to get their citizenship restored.

Mr Lal was a Pakistani by birth. In 1984, he married Nisha, an Indian national. After the marriage, she got Pakistani citizenship. However, when they visited India in 1999 they renounced their citizenship.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Niaz Wali Khan contended that the demand made by the interior division was illegal and contrary to the Citizenship Act of Pakistan. He argued that the petitioners had three children and all of them were Pakistani nationals.

The lawyer said that nowhere in the law it was mentioned that a person would pay such huge amount to get his/her Pakistani citizenship restored.

He said the couple had gone to India where it was necessary to surrender the Pakistani citizenship before getting the Indian citizenship.

He informed the court that the interior division had first issued a letter to the couple on Jan 25, 2006. A subsequent letter was issued on April 6 whereby they were directed to deposit the amount till May 11.