KARACHI, Nov 12: A high-powered committee, constituted by the federal government, has proposed to grant Pakistan citizenship to all those Bengalis living in Pakistan before December 16, 1971.

The committee had also recommended to the government to issue White Passports to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Mayanmar, so that they could visit their countries and to facilitate those who wanted to go back permanently. However, this could only be done if they get them registered with the National Aliens Registration Authority and filled up Form E-I under the Citizenship Act, said Mazhar Ali Shaikh, Director of NARA, while talking to PPI on Tuesday.

He said according to statistics available, about 1.1 million Bengalis and 200,000 Mayanmarese living in Karachi were considered to be aliens, as at the time of dismemberment of Pakistan, all the Bengalis, except 20-25 thousand, had left for Bangladesh, and in 1978 through an amendment in the Citizenship Act, Pakistani citizenship of all those having East Pakistan domicile was cancelled.

The Bengalis who chose to live in Pakistan after December 16, 1971 were required to fill up Form E-I of the provincial Home Department and apply for citizenship, but, according to the Sindh Home Department, no Bengali applied for this purpose, Mr Shaikh said.

Similarly, all those Bengalis and Mayanmarese who came over to Pakistan through different means were required to seek Pakistan citizenship under Rule 13/A (I) of the Citizenship Act, but the number of those who were granted citizenship was only 800. Thus all these people, even if they were born here, were considered illegal immigrants, he clarified.

Mr Shaikh said Bengalis desiring to avail of the chance and get Pakistan citizenship would have to furnish documentary proof of their pre-December 16, 1971 stay and their children born here after that period. The high-powered committee had also held meetings with representatives of Bengalis and in view of certain points raised by them, it recommended that as most of the Bengalis might not be able to submit documentary proof, superintendent of police and the Special Branch might be empowered to recommend for granting them citizenship, he said.

Another proposal was also under consideration of the government according to which illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Mayanmar who got themselves registered with NARA would be issued White Passports for travelling between Pakistan and their country. Besides, those who wanted to return permanently to the country of their origin would also be facilitated if they got themselves registered with NARA. For this purpose, NGOs had been contacted which had expressed willingness to sort out the problem and to finance the return of such aliens, he said.

The DG NARA dispelled the impression that aliens who got themselves registered would be deported, saying 35,000 aliens had been registered but none of them had been deported.— PPI