PESHAWAR, Aug 20: The deputy attorney-general has informed the Peshawar High Court that Dr Hafsa Aman, an Indian woman married to a Pakistani national, was denied citizenship by the interior division because the security agencies had not given clearance.

The deputy attorney general, Salahuddin Khan, representing the federal government, on Thursday stated before a two-member bench that the interior division, Islamabad, had been reprocessing her case and had also extended her stay permit for two months.

The bench comprising Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Ijazul Hassan asked Mr Khan whether the citizenship was granted by the interior division or by the security agencies.

Justice Pervez inquired whether any material was available on record which could show why the citizenship was denied to Ms Aman. The bench asked Mr Khan to provide to the court any logical reason available on record on the basis of which she was denied the citizenship.

The bench directed the interior division to file comments in a writ petition, challenging denial of Pakistani citizenship to another Indian woman, Aqila Durrani, who was also married to a Pakistani national.

The court extended the stay order earlier issued in favour of the two Indian women and directed the authorities not to take any action against them till further orders.

The bench took up for hearing two identical writ petitions filed against non-provision of Pakistani citizenship to Ms Aman and Ms Durrani. The first petition was filed by Aman Khan, husband of Dr Hafsa, whereas the second petition was jointly filed by Aqila Durrani and her husband, Imtiaz Khan.

It is a coincident that both the women had married Pakistani nationals belonging to district Mardan. Ms Aman has recently given birth to a baby-boy, whereas Ms Durrani has given birth to a baby-girl.

Advocate Amjid Ali appeared for Ms Durrani and contended that no reason had yet been given for declining citizenship to her. He stated that her stay permit had expired on July 27.

Mr Khan requested the court to further extend the stay order earlier issued in favour of the petitioner in June, which was extended last month. Ms Aman's counsel, Usman Khan Tarlandi, had filed an application due to his illness seeking adjournment of that case.

The bench adjourned the two cases with the direction to the interior division to file comments in the petition of Ms Durrani. There are certain distinctions between the cases of Ms Aman and Ms Durrani, as the former had converted to Islam last year in Karachi, whereas the latter is a Muslim by birth.